6 THE HUMAN SIDE OF TREES 



a tree is born it must begin a never-ending effort 

 to gain for itself a full quota of light and air. It 

 stands shoulder to shoulder with other saplings, all 

 growing up in the shadow of larger trees. The 

 one that grows the fastest is assured of a long life 

 and abundant foliage. He who lags behind be- 

 comes first a little smaller than his fellows, then of 

 noticeably retarded and restricted crown, then sup- 

 pressed or hopelessly out of the running, and finally 

 an invalid who dwindles to a speedy death. The 

 mortality among the baby trees is very great, and 

 becomes less as maturity is reached. Occasionally 

 we meet a life-long sick man who, with bent or 

 broken trunk, is dragging out a weary existence. 



Metropolitan life is inclined to be enervating. 

 Foresters tell us that growth is so retarded in a 

 tree city that an Adirondack spruce which takes 

 one hundred and eighty years to attain a diameter 

 of twelve feet could secure this dimension in one 

 hundred years under unhampered conditions. 



There are a few inhabitants of the forest who de- 

 liberately choose what form their physical body 

 shall take. This body must suit their environment. 

 If they see that restricted conditions of light and 

 air surround their early life, they become vines; 

 but when given more room they develop into lux- 

 urious trees. The wild fig of South America is a 



