FOREST TREES 
stitute the last remnants of a mighty 
race that covered vast areas in North 
America and Europe in past geologi- 
cal ages. It is believed that their 
days are almost over, for the big tree 
groves are few in number and small in 
extent, and even these are falling rap- 
‘idly under the ax and saw. Nor does 
this species appear to reproduce itself 
easily; for, although numberless seeds 
fall from the old trees, they rarely 
sprout, and therefore are slow to re- 
place what has beentaken away. The 
redwoods, too, are threatened with ex- 
tinction, though they still cover consid- 
erable tracts along the northern half of 
the California coast. They are coveted 
even more than the big trees and are 
disappearing with a rapidity that only 
modern industry has made possible. 
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