FIVE LINKS TO THE CHAIN 



57 



Maple Seeds 



elm seeds crowded together in a heap. Near by, in another 

 heap, on another inch of ground, were fifteen maple seeds 

 piled upon each other, and there were many square yards 



of surface almost as thickly 

 covered. One dainty dandelion 

 stalk carried one hundred and 

 fifty-four tiny parachutes in full 

 sail, ready to fly off when the next 

 carrier breeze came that way. 



All this was on my own lawn 

 one bright spring morning. I 

 then thought of the wooded 

 groves just outside of town. I remembered the trees, the 

 shrubs, the weeds, and the wild flowers — some in full bloom, 

 others already gone to seed. I knew that millions of seeds 

 were under the trees and on the shrubs in every forest during 

 every spring season. I also knew that no more than tens or 

 hundreds of these seeds ever take root and grow. 



I thought of the rivers too, and of the lakes, the ponds, 

 and the ocean, with their millions of fish eggs laid in every 

 breeding spot — multitudes never to be hatched, 

 other multitudes to be devoured by bigger fish 

 as soon as hatched, and very few to live long 

 enough to pass life on to the next generation. 

 " Prodigality, prodigality, on ever}' side ! " was 

 my exclamation. 



Next I turned to printed records and looked 

 for added facts of the same sort. 



Dr. Thompson says that a cod is reported to have two 

 million eggs, and that " if these all developed into cods, there 

 would soon be no more fishing." This means that the ocean 

 would be so full of swarming, struggling, dying cod, that 



Elm Seed 



