prominent part in distributing seed in every section of the
country. Pine and fir seeds are equipped with wings like those
of a bird or an airplane. They enable the seeds to fly long
distances on the wind before they drop to the ground and are
covered with leaves. Maple seeds fly by means of double-winged
sails which carry them far afield before they settle. Ash seeds
have peculiar appendages which act like a skate-sail in
transporting them to distant sections. Cottonwood seeds have
downy wings which aid their flight, while basswood seeds are
distributed over the country by means of parachute-like wings.
The pods of the locust tree fall on the frozen ground or snow
crust and are blown long distances from their source. On the
other hand, oak, hickory, and chestnut trees produce heavy seeds
which generally remain where they fall.

Squirrels are the most industrious foresters in the animal world.
Each year they bury great quantities of tree seeds in hoards or
caches hidden away in hollow logs or in the moss and leaves of
the forest floor. Birds also scatter tree seed here, there, and
everywhere over the forests and the surrounding country. Running
streams and rivers carry seeds uninjured for many miles and
finally deposit them in places where they sprout and grow into
trees. Many seeds are carried by the ocean currents to distant
foreign shores.

The decay of leaves and woodland vegetation forms rich and
fertile soils in the forests, in which conditions are favorable
for the development of new tree growth. When living tree seeds
are exposed to proper amounts of moisture, warmth and air in a
fertile soil, they will sprout and grow. A root develops which