CHAPTER XIII 

 NURTURE VERSUS NATURE 



REPORTS have recently come from New 

 Zealand that tell a remarkable story 

 about the Monterey pine. This tree is 

 indigenous to California. It grows in very re- 

 stricted regions, and the comparatively few 

 individual trees that are now in existence are 

 supposed to be reminiscent of a remote prehis- 

 toric flora. Indeed, the chief interest of the tree 

 hitherto has been the fact that it is found in so 

 restricted an area, and in such small numbers. 



But now word comes from New Zealand that 

 this tree has proved to have very remarkable 

 qualities when grown in that country. Someone 

 made the experiment of transporting the Monte- 

 rey pine to New Zealand a good many years ago, 

 and this change of environment appears to have 

 had a most extraordinary effect. 



Whereas the Monterey pine in its native coun- 

 try is practically valueless from an economic 

 standpoint, it proves so remarkable a producer of 

 wood in its new home that it has there received 

 the name "The Wonderful Tree." 



Reports tell us that the Monterey pine in this 

 new habitat exceeds all other trees in rapidity of 



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