148 



Why are certain kinds of trees called evergreen, in distinction 

 from those which are said to be deciduous? The reason is 

 obvious. One kind is always green from the presence of foliage, 

 while the other sheds all of its leaves every season. The ever- 

 green trees, like the pines and the spruces and firs, always appear 

 to be well covered with foliage, so it does not often occur to us 

 that these trees shed their leaves. And yet perhaps we can 

 recall happy hours when we used to plaj^ beneath some large pine 

 tree where the ground was carpeted with pine " needles." 



The falling of the leaves of the maple trees or the oaks is a 



38. Shoot of the common white pine ^ one-third natural size. 



familiar sight, but who has seen the spruce leaves fall, and who 

 can tell when the pine needles drop ? 



That the evergreen trees do shed their foliage, as truly as the 

 maples and the elms do, we will not question, for we can see the 

 fallen leaves under any tree. Look up into the top of a spruce 

 or pine. See that the interior is bare of foliage. The leaves are 

 towards the ends of the branches, where they receive sunlight. 

 Yet the branches which are now on the interior once bore leaves, 

 for we can see the leaf-scars. 



It will be interesting to find out something about the leaves of 

 our common evergreens. Let us look at some of them. 



