20 



Yearbook of Agriculture 1949 



Humboldt State Redwood Park near 

 Dyerville in California. It was 364 feet 

 tall in 1947. 



Are any living trees direct descend- 

 ants of fossil ancestors? 



Yes; most familiar example is gink- 

 go, a native of China that is now 

 cultivated in the United States. The re- 

 cently discovered "Dawn Redwood" 

 (Metasequoia), also of China, was at 

 first believed to be a "living fossil" but 

 recent indications are that it may be a 

 "surviving ancestor" of the well-known 

 American coast redwood. In 1948, Dr. 

 Ralph Chancy, of the University of 

 California, headed an expedition into 

 China to study the Dawn Redwood 

 and bring back specimens and seed 

 of it. Seedlings and transplants from 

 China are growing at the University of 

 California as a result of his effort. A 

 league for the protection and preserva- 

 tion of these trees in China has been 

 founded and is being encouraged and 

 assisted by the "Save the Redwoods 

 League" of the west coast. 



What is the oldest tree? 



The oldest tree is probably one of 

 the big giant sequoias in California, 

 variously estimated to be between 3,000 

 and 4,000 years old. The "Dragon 

 Tree" of the Canary Islands, which 

 was blown over in 1868, was estimated 

 to have been as old as the Great Pyra- 

 mid Cheops in Egypt about 4,000 

 years old. 



Do tree seeds all weigh the same? 



Seed from conifers range from a half 

 thousand seeds up to nearly a half 

 million to the pound. White pine seed 

 averages 27,000 a pound, for example; 

 red pine, approximately 52,000; black 

 spruce, 400,000; and Atlantic white- 

 cedar, 460,000 to the pound. Torrey 

 pine has about 500 seeds to the pound. 



How large do pine cones grow? 



The sugar pine of the Pacific Coast 

 States produces the longest of pine 

 cones, some exceeding 20 inches in 

 length. The Mugho pine of Europe 



produces cones from less than 1 inch 

 to 2 inches long. 



What is the difference between a 

 bigtree, or giant sequoia, and a red- 

 wood? 



These trees are different species of 

 the same family and genus. Botani- 

 cally, the giant sequoia is known as 

 Sequoia gigantea, and the redwood is 

 known as Sequoia sempervirens. They 

 grow in different places. The giant se- 

 quoia is found only on the middle 

 slopes of the Sierra Nevada in Califor- 

 nia. The redwood grows only along 

 the Pacific coast, within reach of the 

 ocean fogs, from Monterey County 

 northward to the Oregon line. The red- 

 wood has needlelike leaves ; the giant 

 sequoia has scalelike leaves. 



Is it a good practice to plant a new 

 tree for every one cut? 



No. The use of a method of cutting 

 that will assure renewal of the woods 

 by natural reproduction is generally 

 more economical and satisfactory. Na- 

 ture usually plants many times as many 

 trees as man cuts, if man helps nature 

 by providing proper conditions on the 

 cut-over areas. 



What kind of trees should I plant on 

 my land? 



The safest rule is to plant trees that 

 grow naturally in your neighborhood, 

 because they are adapted to the local 

 climate and soils. Before planting any 

 exotic foreign or introduced spe- 

 cies, consult your local forester or nurs- 

 eryman to find out if it will grow on 

 your soil. 



Can I get trees from the Government 

 to plant on my land? 



The Federal Government does not 

 distribute trees free of charge. It does, 

 however, cooperate with the various 

 State forestry agencies in producing 

 and distributing trees for planting on 

 private lands. Applications to buy trees 

 should be made to the State forester. 

 Trees grown in the State nurseries are 

 sold at approximate cost of production. 



