Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-02-19

~ afford us many IL
is of sowing and reaping, of
md consequences in the king
norals.
,rk of distributing seeds, and
the fields and hills with the
forms of verdure, has been
lilly provided for by the Gre
N oak growing alone on a
illside, will in course Of time,
undisturbed, surround itself
ung oaks. AcOrns will drop
he outer circle of the extend
ches. Some will be trampled
soft ground, in a rainy time,
passing hoof; others will be
by the falling leaves, and
i'll be buried by the action Of
and ffost-only to burst
nto newness of life in the
me. So the oak saplings
up around the parent oak.
zen lift their boughs higher and
as the years go by, and in
of time ripened acorns fall
leir extending branches to find
in the moist soil, where they
and grow. SO that great oak
IS the center of a grove of oaks.
lssing years lengthen into CEN
and a great forest Of oaks,
lany other kinds of trees, to-
with shrubs and innumerable
cover the wide extending plain
antle the distant hills.
ny boyhood days my father took
it'll him one day to examine a
er of mounds, which had been
II up by the ancient moundbuild-
We found them in the depth Of
at forest of giant trees. The
ds were probably sixteen feet IN
ter and four feet in height.
in them we found numerous hui
bones, but they were so nearly
d to dust that they crumbled
touched. The interesting fact
\ greatly impressed me was that
l, and oak, and maple, and other
It trees of great size grew on all
and even on the mounds them
S. The old moundbuilders inhab-
those ancient fields, but passed
i at last; and then a dense for
covered their old habi-
n, and the place of the dead.
t from whence came these other
and shrubs, and the tangle OF
in this forest of oaks? No soon
ad that forest of oak lifted its
ches toward the sun, and cast
ladow in the noontide heat. than
lodged in its branches, and wild
ures crossed the open plain to
n its grateful shade. Among the
,hes of the trees the robin built
Iest. In little while four bright
eggs gladdened the mother rob-
heart. Soon there were -four
ry little birds. The parent rob
yere kept pretty busy finding in
, and ripe berries, and juicy
les for those four wide-open
his. But some of the berries fell
the nest, and some of the cher
were dropped on the way from
berry tree in the distant thicket;
80 in course of time a wild cher
ee grew in a cluster Of raspber-
riers. In the grass under the
the bright dandelion lifts its
N face to the sun. But how came
ere? Mother nature brought it
e wings of the wind from yonder
Every little seed ripened in
hardy flower is attached to the
lie of a delicate little parasol of
cry down, which the breeze
es up and whirls away. One of
little seed carriers fell among
AXIS, and a new citizen was add
the community. But we notice
Dad leaved, strong and hardy
growing in an open place, at the
of a gigantic elm. Its roots are
n deep into the ground. 1t is
urdock. 1t grew along the caving
5 of a winding stream away over
Iistant hill. A wild animal was
ne through the clump of weeds
light, when a burr with its many
hooks laid hold of his shaggy
and was carried to the grove Of
where it was at last torn off
o it grew. Thus the colony grew
:. One summer day a whirlwind
across the rolling fields from the
west. 1t brought with it cloud
,wny particles and whirling but
as. Many of these fell among
rees. The showers washed them
the crevices in the soil; and from
hreds of cotton came forth the
cottonwood; and from the whirl-
butterflies sprang the modest
es. So we find in the thriving
lunity many honorable citizens
ome less honorable. Here grows
issian thistle. 1t is a sturdy;
ing. aggressive herb. 1t often
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