Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-11-13
HOW PLANTS TRAVEL
Methods of Seed Distribution
Still Puzzle Scientists
Forests Along Pacific Coast from Call.
fOrnin to Puget sound Have No
Rivals in Kind and
Size OF Trees
tBy Frederick ]. Hsskins)


the world, getting into all sorts Of situa-
lions where you would not expect to find
them. is one of the phases of plant lie
which still puzzles scientists.
special study of plant travels have
been made by y. LANCE, well-known
botanist, who recently visited the Ameri-
can Forestry association. In his study
of plants, MIR. Large has been in almost
every part of tie world. He has made
especially valuable observations OF the
various methods Of seed distribution, and
has added a number OF new plants TO
the worlds list
About quarter Of million different
kinds of plants are now known to SCI
ence, Mr.. Lange Gays. The Identification
of this enormous number represents the
labor OF thousands OF scientists. In the
days of Linnaeus. but ten thousand va
rietes had been identified
Mr.. Langc thinks of the world as a
great garden of Giants. He describes
America wildly IN terms of its plant
lite. Did you ever think of it that wrY:
Before white men found tinerica."
said Mr. Lange. "the eastern half of the
continent war one great forest of hard
woods. ccniering in the Ohio valley.
"'Tlis forest consisted CT an association
of many species, and 1t stretched almost
W thout brean flom the Atlantic coast
to Western Minnesota.
North Of this broad-leaved forest ex-
tended belt OF evergreens to the limit
Of trees into subai ctic regions. and
westward to the treeless plains, In its
southern region the white and Norway
pines were the dominant trees. They
grow taller and live longer than any
a hpr "
had not interfered for century or two
they had crowded out every other kind
From Illinois to the foothills Of the
Rocky Mountains stretched the largest
grassy meadows of the world, known
as the praries.
THE question why these great fertile
regions remained treoess is not easily
answered. over part of the praires
the rainfall is insufficient to meet the
great need of trees for water. Nearly
all the prairie grasses and flowers are
perennals. well-ftted to resist annual
or occasional severe droughts Nor
could millions of grazing buffalces and
the fires started by lightning or by prm-
tive man harm the underground root
stock of these plants. To seeding trees.
however, a fire means almost certain
destruction.
Leaving out Of consideration here the
rather complex problem plant distrbu.
ton over the Black Hills, the Rocky
Mountains and the Great Basin we reach
on the sierra, the olympic and the Cas-
cade Mountains the grandest ana most
remarkable forest OF the world, which
stre'ches from Caiilornia nor'h~ard TO
tne limit Oh trees IN Aiaska' through
more IMAM Two Thousand mics Oh iatl-
tude'
from Caltornia 10 fuget Sound 10
lolest OF enormous redwoods, yellow
pines Douglas mrs, western hemlocks
ana otheF eVerereeens' including the re-
markaple isolated groves or giant sequoi-
as containing trees OF almost ihcredipie
size ana age And not only the great
sequolas put also the redwoods ana mrs
are giants often reaching he'ght OF
TWO or three hundred rect In these
forests the niue douglas squirrel and
NUMBER OF small nlros I've permanently
IN the tree tops and can only be studied
through telescopes
In extent, IN density in the kinds and
size OIL 'heir trees these forests nave
no rivals on our planet
even more ,hah among animals
Inc eolpie inNy mushroom produces
It's umpreiia-snapeo column over night
a lie" DAYS later the "hole pant mas de-
iiuesceu INTO pa'ch oi piack INK, ana
Wit''h week not trace Is iett OF i's
cN'-.e"Ne.
Inc s'aht sequoia' OH tne other manu.
mas ou'h'cu the great empires oi human
hlslory' enjoying Il vigorous growth TOT
three Vi iour 'housdho years NO FUNGUS
OF insect pest Is ap!e 10 Marin H. us
Top reaches three hundred ana hrty ieet
! toward the SKY ana II stoims' hghtnine
ana resulting hres did not at last bring
IL down. IL seems mat IL might I'VE ana
grow forever. Ana then, In the END.
the grant long depression IN the SOIL
tells three centuries after Forest fires
nave consumed the enormous mass OF
souhu "ooo' 10 winch fungus ihsects ana
the tooth OF time could DO no harm'
some OF tne giants sun growing IN the
Marposa fark were ALREADY DIG trees
as New ENG ana measures trees. when
Abraham pastured his hooks In Pales-
tine
curious ana many are the methods
OF travelling adopted by plants. Most
plants can, or course travel only as seeds.
although there are few exceptions to
this rule.
THE advantage OF the first conner the
squattcr, one might say. plays an i'm
portant part in the world Of plant life.
The cotton tufted seeds of willows and
populars, and the little winged seeds of
the white birch are carried by the wind