_ Solved it myself, but not entirely to my satisfaction. I have, after — 
1886.] Western Indiana more than 300 years ago. 351 
This storm would pass, in going north-east, about two miles to 
the left of the city of Crawfordsville, Indiana, the county-seat of 
Montgomery county. Though it might change its course far- 
er on. 
At, or very near the spot where I counted the age of the oak 
which had grown on one of these tree graves, there still stands on 
another mound a white oak considerably larger than the one I 
counted, though it may not be an older one. I have delayed 
writing this account over six months, expecting a miller to cut 
this larger tree so I could count its age, but it has been neglected 
so long that I have decided to write from what information I 
now have. 
These tree graves are, in the wild forest, as well preserved and 
as distinct in outline, although more than three hundred years 
old, as many that have been made by trees that have fallen within 
my own recollection. If the same conditions that have so well 
preserved them for that time should continue in the long future, I 
see no reason why these mounds might not be preserved five 
thousand, yea, ten thousand years. 3 
What does the reader guess has so well preserved these little ; 
mounds for so long a time? It is nothing more nor less than a 
thin coating of forest leaves. The leaves act as shingles in shed- 
ding the rains, so that they are not washed or worn down by the 
falling rain or melting snow. The frost does not penetrate 
through a good coating of leaves, and therefore they are not ex- 
panded and spread out by freezing and thawing. I can see a 
great difference between the mounds in the wild forest and those 
On land that has been set to grass and pastured a few years. The 
tramping of stock and the frequent expansions from freezing, © 
Which the grass does not prevent, flattens them perceptibly. The 
grass, however, does preserve them against rain-washings. When 
a belt of forest is blown down there are no trees to produce leaf 
shingling till a new set are produced; but these come in great — 
Sundance in ten years. It requires about fifteen to twenty years 
{cota sound white oak. The time will depend on the lay of 
Me log, 2 | 
whether it falls across another log and lies above ground, _ 
or lies on or is partly bedded in the ground. a 
I now offer a conundrum in connnection with this subject for — 
©msoever may feel an interest in it to solve. I have partly — 
