WASHINGTON, AND MAtION COUNTIES.



ble that soon after the beginning of the uplift of the CUMBER-
LAND FOLD and the KENTUCKY ANTICLINAL, some of the species
may have sprung up on the accumulating islands; and it seems
possible, from the peculiar distribution of the pines in Eastern
and Central Kentucky, that the cone-bearing trees may have
been amongst the first introduced. The peculiar habitat of the
yellow-wood, found only at two or three stations in the 'Fate,
and those on the disturbances mentioned above, would seem
to place it among the original trees. Some species must have
been distributed very slowly until the introduction of animals
and man. Both of those agencies must have had much to do
with the distribution of certain, trees which bear edible fruits.
  There are certain evidences that appeal to the senses-and
ve seem to have but little occasion to describe them-which
make it appear that the distribution of some plants, like the
hickory, walnut, oak, black haw, persimmon, etc., was to some
extent the work of the ancient "1 Mound-Builders." We do
not know that any attention has been given to this theory, but
it is worthy of some attention. Outside of the influences of
wind and water in the dissemination of plants and the acci-
dental dropping of seed by man, the various species of rodents
appear as the great propagators of some species. We think
probably, from our own observations, that more than ninety
per cent. of the young hickory and walnut trees that come up
in the lorests, now, have been planted by squirrels. Those
animals will bury great numbers in a single season to prevent
their destruction by freezing and other causes, and that their
shells may be softened. As they are placed at the right depth
to germinate well, and are selected for their soundness, it is
evident that if the animals are killed or driven away, that all
these nuts come up; without such agency, only an accident
would so cover them under the surface that they could ger-
minate. Nuts are often carried long distances from where
they grew, and dropped in places favorable for germination.
The little striped ground-squirrel has something to do with
the planting of acorns, etc., and perhaps the wood-mice are
not unimportant seed-sowers.



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