852 _ Causes of Forest Rotation. [ October, 
everywhere follow the oak destruction? It seems to me the true 
explanation comes in climatological changes as minor, and soil- 
chemistry changes as major causes,” 
I admit the puzzle the doctor produces. Perhaps neither of us 
is right in accounting for forest, rotation. My theory—which I 
have offered only as a suggestion or query—that perhaps most 
forest seeds will not grow in the leaf-fall of the parent tree, and 
that nuts are transported long distances and in great numbers by 
crows, woodpeckers, squirrels, &c., while it is possible, and seems 
to me probable, may not be the fact that accounts for oak follow- 
ing pine in Minnesota in the manner stated. But I must be 
allowed to believe a few days longer that an oak starts from an 
acorn. Í 
It is remarkable how often we all (and many very intelligent 
and scientific persons are included) ponder, wonder and speculate 
about a phenomenon, the evidence to solve which lies at our feet. 
If the doctor, while on the ground, had examined a few of the 
infant oaks, I think he would have found an acorn attached. And 
if he had, the only unsolved question remaining would be—How 
did the acorn get there? As it is, the first question to settle 1s 
whether the oak came from an acorn or spontaneously from ie 
ground. In my locality the acorn and the dark mold-cast whic 
it leaves in the ground can be identified as late as the third year 
after sprouting, e 
Professor George K. Greene, of New Albany, Indiana, writes: 
“If you were to visit the section of country in Harrison gaar 
Indiana, called the “barrens,” you would find an area of T 
thousands of acres all grown up with post oaks (Quercus e 
There are citizens residing in the vicinity who came there $ E 
there was no timber on the ground. Can your crows and 9q! 
rels account for this ?” 2 this 
I will answer this by describing the work of the crows see 
vicinity about the year 1847. John Williams loaded a flat- ¥ 
=~ With chickens for the New Orleans market. Such a ae 
= and his'probably did, carry three thousand chickens. O ae 
= two thousand would be hens, as the farmers generally ki Man- 
: males for their own table use. This boat in running ag no 
_Warring's mill-dam sprung a leak and sunk so fast get side 
kens had to be turned loose in the woods on the no 
creek, and about a half mile above where it 
me 
