TREES THAT KEEP A DIARY 87 



startling evidence of sylvan egotism. The tree 

 does not seem to notice it but goes right on. 



"Mother Nature matures a million conifer seeds 

 for each one she chooses for growth. For that 

 reason it is hard to say just where I came from. 

 The cone which contained my seed may have been 

 trampled into the earth by some passing bear, or 

 it may have been buried by some wandering squir- 

 rel. Yet, as my family are a very proud and aris- 

 tocratic race, magnificently educated and accus- 

 tomed to rare care in sending their seed-babies forth 

 into the world, it is most probable that I floated 

 from the cradle (seed-cone) which was carefully 

 held in the affectionate arms of my dear mother, 

 and was landed in a safe place in the big world. 

 You know that pine-tree mothers never send their 

 babies into the world in a haphazard way, but al- 

 ways have them attached to a parachute when the 

 pine cone bursts open. The first thing I remember 

 is when I thrust my tiny, adventuresome head above 

 the surface of the ground. Of course I had al- 

 ready slept some time under the warm soil in order 

 to spring up; then it was that my diary of con- 

 centric rings began, and every event of my life is 

 recorded in characters of unmistakable clearness. 



"A careful inspection of my diary shows 1025 

 pages; I am therefore 1025 years old and was born 



