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Vol. 9 October, 1913. No. 7 



The Leaf-Portfolio as an Aid in Tree-Study 



Anna Botsford Comstock 



With illustrations engraved from leaf prints made by the pupils of Pro- 

 fessor W. W. Gillette, of the St. Andrew's School, Richmond, V^irginia. 



The value of making a collection is three-fold: it serves to 

 teach the collector about the objects collected, which satisfies the 

 desire, especially of the child's mind for bringing objects together 

 and classifying and arranging them, and the collection remains as 

 a reference to refresh the memory ; and, moreover, it may also be 

 beautiful as well as interesting. 



Because of these reasons a portfolio of the leaves of the trees of a 

 region proves a great help in tree study, which may thus be begun 

 earlier than if stalled in a more fundamental manner. Since it is 

 necessary to know the names of things in order to pursue their 

 acquaintance profitably, the making of a collection of leaves is a 

 ready way to learn the tree names, and it also introduces the pupils 

 to the tree manuals. 



There are several ways of making these leaf portfolios, but there 

 are two essentials in making them b>' any method. These are, 

 accuracy in determining the trees so as to label the leaves properly, 

 and the making the collection as complete as possible. The most 

 natural and perhaps the easiest way of making the portfolio is to 

 gather the leaves, press them, mount them on uniform sheets of 

 paper, and label them. If this work is begun in the autumn, which 

 is the best season of all for beginning tree study, there is the added 

 interest of the glowing color of the foliage ; and if there is a desire 

 to preserve the autumn colors the leaves may be waxed and ironed 

 instead of pressed. This is done by j^assing a moderately hot 



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