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Seed-Time and Harvest: October: Squirrels

I. THE BANKING BUSINESS OF THE SQUIRRELS AND THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM This phase of forestry, the gathering of the seeds, is one in which the squirrels are particularly interested and in which they perform quite an important service. Everybody knows, of course, that squirrels have a good deal to do with the seeds of certain trees - including the seeds we call "nuts" -- but did you know that they run regular tree-seed banks in certain regions and that they have been made honorary members of our great National Forest Service?

As I have already said in the story of the soil, a great many trees, take it year in and year out, are planted by absent-minded squirrels who bury acorns and nuts for future reference and then forget where they put them. But, like the California Woodpeckers, (A Year in the Wonderland of Birds.) they have a complete banking system and on a much larger scale.