ge fallen trunks in hollow places, where
moisture is preserved throughout the summer. Most of the other
conifers of these forests, especially the pines, have much larger
seeds than the Sequoias, and the store of nourishment in these more
bulky seeds enables the young plants to tide over the first summer's
drought. It is clear, therefore, that there are no indications of
natural decay in these forest giants. In every stage of their growth
they are vigorous and healthy, and they have nothing to fear except
from the destroying hand of man.

[Illustration: REDWOOD TREE WITH TRIPLE TRUNK.]

Destruction from this cause is, however, rapidly diminishing both the
giant Sequoia and its near ally the noble redwood (_Sequoia
sempervirens_), a tree which is more beautiful in foliage and in some
other respects more remarkable than its brother species, while there
is reason to believe that under favorable conditions it reaches an
equally phenomenal size. It once covered almost all the coast ranges
of central and northern California, but has been long since cleared
away in the vicinity of San Francisco, and greatly diminished
elsewhere. A grove is preserved for the benefit of tourists near Santa
Cruz, the largest tree being two hundred and ninety-six feet high,
twenty-nine feet diameter at the ground and fifteen feet at six feet
above it. One of these trees having a triple trunk is here figured
from a photograph. Much larger trees, however, exist in the great
forests of this tree in the northern part of the State; but these are
rapidly being destroyed for the timber, which is so good and durable
as to be in great demand. Hence Californians have a saying that the
redwood is too good a tree to live. On the mountains a few miles east
of the Bay of San Francisco, there are a number of patches of young
redwoods, indicating where large trees have been felled, it being a
peculiarity of this tree that it sends up vigorous young plants from
the roots of old ones immediately around the base. Hence in the
forests these trees often stand in groups arranged nearly in a circle,
thus marking out the size of the huge trunks of their parents. It is
from this quality that the tree has been named _sempervirens_, or ever
flourishing. Dr. Gibbons, of Alameda, who has explored all the remains
of the redwood forests in the neighborhood of Oakland, kindly took me
to see the old burnt-out stump of the largest tree he had discovered.
It is situated about fift