141 



only from pastures, which scarcely exist in Queens County at 

 present (probably because the land is too valuable to be used 

 that way). 



The case of Juniperus Virginiana is especially interesting. 

 This is very common on the poor gravelly soils of ' north-central 

 Long Island, as well as on rather rich soils in southern Connec- 

 ticut, central New Jersey, Virginia, and farther south and west; 

 but in northern Queens County it occurs outside of cultivation 

 only in a few of the more gravelly spots. There are plenty of 

 fields and roadsides where it would be well protected from fire — 

 to which it seems to be very sensitive — but perhaps the presence 

 of earthworms in the soil is detrimental to it in some way, as 

 suggested a few years ago.* The factor in the soil, whether 

 worms, fungi, or something else, that hinders the growth of the 

 cedar (and the same might be said of the pines and other ever- 

 green trees) probably operates chiefly at the time of germination, 

 for such trees when set out seem to grow very well.f The same 

 explanation, when found, will probably apply also to such 

 evergreens as Juniperus communis depressa, several Ericaceae 

 and pteridophytes, Hepatica, Opuntia, Mitchella and Antennaria, 

 as well as to the Orchidaceae.t Evidently the soil fauna and 

 other soil organisms deserve more attention from ecologists 

 than they have had hitherto. 



Some herbs that are much sought for their flowers, such as 

 Erythronium, Trillium, various orchids. Anemone quinquefolia, 

 Bicuculla, Viola pedata, Epigaea, Gentiana crinita, and Castilleja, 

 may possibly have been exterminated or nearly so by strollers 

 and flower-pickers, for in a great city there are very few 

 spots in these woods that are not trampled over by some one 

 every year or so. But the dogwood, which is one of the greatest 

 sufferers from vandalism, is still the most abundant tree in 



*Torrej'ai2: 149. 1912. 



t Richard H. Boerker, in a privately printed thesis entitled Ecological investiga- 

 tions upon the germination and early growth of forest trees (Lincoln, Neb., Jan. 

 1916) states that pine seedlings in loamy soil are very subject to damping-off. 



t In this connection the suggestion of Griggs that evergreen herbs grow chiefly 

 in places where they are not crowded or likely to be smothered by falling leaves 

 (see Torreya 13: 30-31. 191 5) deserves consideration. 



