A CO NS. 
7 
perliaps well - nigh choked and smothered it, but at the same 
time protected it from greater dangers. If fortunate enough to 
escape the hedger’s axe or hook, the young sapling goes on forc- 
ing its shapely top up into the light and air, and year by year 
increasing in bulk, develops in time into a noble oak. 
Very slowly and imperceptibly the trunk swells and loses 
the rounded form of youth, and the bark becomes more rugged 
and deeply cleft. The big lateral roots go off gradually from the 
bole in gentle curves, forming strong buttresses, whose tops 
sink into and are finally lost in the rounded part of the trunk 
above.''' 
Gradually the mighty arms spread abroad, in long sweeping 
curves, and abrupt unlooked-for twists and turns. Year after 
year, it may be century after century, while many generations 
of men are born, fulfil their allotted span, and pass away, the 
tree goes on producing its crop of acorns, keeping in all pro- 
bability to its own peculiar mould or pattern to the very last. 
Every “ acorn year ” great numbers are crushed and trodden 
to pieces, and in process of time fulfil what is perhaps their 
humble part in the great scheme of Nature, by rotting and enriching 
the soil ; for though so few are destined to become trees, not 
one is wasted. An overwhelming majority indeed serve as food 
for various animals; pigs, sheep, goats, &c., devour large quan- 
tities, as well as rats, squirrels and field-mice. Among birds, 
too, there are many acorns eaters, as ducks, pheasants, rooks, 
jays, wood-pigeons and others — indeed acorns form an important 
item in the winter fare of the last-mentioned bird. During long- 
continued frosts, and when the ground is deeply covered with 
snow, large flocks of wood-pigeons resort to sheltered ditches and 
hollows in woods, where they search among the fallen leaves for 
acorns. Rooks do not wait for the coveted fruit to fall, they 
pluck it from the trees almost before it is ripe. A company of 
these knowing birds taking their annual toll from the oaks is a 
pleasing and familiar autumn sight. They wheel and hover over 
the trees, keeping a sharp look-out for hidden dangers, and every 
now and then dashing dou'n, one or two at a time, and snatching 
the acorns from the boughs. 
G. T. Rope. 
* The spreading bole and large tap root running down deep into the earth 
give to a full grown oak that immense power of resistance to the force of the wind 
which is so characteristic of this tree. The great weight concentrated at the base 
of the trunk tends to counteract that of the spreading top, thus supplementing the 
holding power of what might be called the lower limbs. Oaks growing in the 
open, on fairly level ground, being able to project their roots so as to offer 
resistance to gales from all points of the compass, are seldom blown down. 
Roadside trees, however, on steep banks, whose power of throwing out these 
strong buttress-like supports is limited to one direction, do occasionally succumb 
to the violence of winds blowing from such a quarter as to take advantage of their 
■weak points. 
