THE TWO OLDEST TREES 



lean or are out of the perpendicular, as 

 they stand growing on the stump. 



The sedimentary rock in which they 

 are buried clearly tells that the surface 

 had once been below the sea level and 

 that at a time later than the tree life. 

 Every indication points to this fact. So 

 it is not conjecture to say that the trees 

 were drowned by inflowing water, either 

 salt or fresh, and when dead fell prone 

 upon the water, or the then surface of the 

 land, later drifting undoubtedly more or 

 less and, as will all timber if afloat, final- 

 ly sinking when water soaked (just as 

 you know it does today in a newly formed 

 mill pond), then to become incased in 

 the sediment which eventually covers the 

 fallen and sunken trees. Once incased in 

 the sediment, provided there was silica 

 in solution, the vegetable matter, which is 

 organic, as it disappears the silica takes 

 its place, and thus produces an exact rep- 

 lica of the tree in stone. 



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