222 



PLANT SOCIETIES 



374. Tlie return to forest. Bushes and trees now begin to crowd. 



362. Ill a large newly cleared area plants usnally first 

 establish themselves in dense colonies. Note the 

 great patches of nettles, jewel-weeds, smart-weeds, clot- 

 burs, fire-weeds in recently cleared but neglected swales, 

 also the fire -weeds in recently burned areas, the rank 

 weeds in the neglected garden, and the ragweeds and 

 May-weeds along the recently worked highway. The com- 

 petition amongst themselves and with their neighbors 

 finally breaks up the colonies, and a mixed and intermin- 



fjU'd flora is gener- 

 al J y the result. 



oG3. In most parts 

 of the world the 

 general tendency of 

 neglected areas is 

 to run into forest. 

 All plants rush for 

 the cleared area. 

 Here and there 

 bushes gain a foot- 

 hold. Young trees 

 come up : in time 

 these shade the 



