often made of gathering the cones at a point where extensive lumbering 

 operations are in progress. This is one of the most economical ways of 

 securing them, as it does not require climbing the trees. As most of 

 the cones are produced near the topmost parts of the trees, especially in 

 the cases of spruces and firs, it is often necessary to climb them in order 



to reach the crop. 

 A small hook at 

 at the end of a 

 pole is sometimes 

 employed for pull- 

 ing off the cones 

 from trees which 

 are not too tall 

 and to assist in 

 reaching those in 

 the tops of trees 

 which must be 

 climbed. 



Probably the 

 easiest and at the 

 same time most 

 interesting method 

 of seed gathering 

 is that of securing 

 them from squirrel 

 hoards. .Most of 

 our native rodents, 

 particularly t h e 

 squirrels, gather 

 and store large 

 quantities of cones 

 from coniferous 

 trees. These are 

 commonly hoarded 

 in moist places at 

 the roots of fallen 

 trees, beside half 

 decayed logs or 

 stumps or beneath 

 overhanging rocks 

 and similar places. 

 The presence of 

 these hoards is 



usually indicated by the finding of gnawed cones in quantity. The hoards 

 are sometimes exposed to view and are then easily located, while at 

 other times they are partly or wholly concealed with a covering of leaves, 

 rubbish or humus. The moisture to which the cones are subjected in 

 these caches keeps the scales from opening so that the seeds are retained 

 by the cones until opened by the squirrels. While this method of seed 



