THE LURE OF THE PINEY WOODS 187 



Could only fire be kept from it the floor of the 

 piney woods would soon be covered with a thin 

 but rich soil and the hammock growth would 

 creep in. 



In some parts of the forest there are parallel 

 rows of young pines, the two being some five or 

 six feet apart and one naturally wonders how they 

 came to be planted in this regular fashion. In 

 such places a wood road formerly existed of which 

 no trace remains. In the middle of it the pal- 

 mettos and other low vegetation were probably 

 not entirely killed but along the wheel tracks they 

 were completely destroyed. The old tracks when 

 abandoned then became admirable seed beds for 

 the pines. I have seen such trees a foot in di- 

 ameter, still showing the row formation. 



So the battle of the forest goes on year in and 

 year out through the long centuries, a strife 

 between the different types of vegetation for a 

 place to live and a chance to multiply. On the 

 other hand the fire, like a well-equipped and com- 

 pletely disciplined army, is the inveterate enemy, 

 and it is always ready to take the field at a mo- 

 ment's notice. 



Such are the piney forests of Lower Florida, 



