1 138 Home Nature-Study Course. 



The Nature-study class at the college has found this work very help- 

 ful. When observing a family of trees, as the red, black, white and 

 chestnut oaks or the native maples, prints of leaves were more readily 

 preserved in the note-books than pressed specimens which break so 

 readily when dry and are so easily lost. The characteristic fruit of each 

 could be sketched beside the leaf and study notes written on the same 

 sheet. 



Comparisons may be made and carefully noted. For example, prints 

 of the leaf of the chestnut oak may be made on the same sheet with a 

 leaf from a chestnut tree and the likeness and difference noted. Why 

 are the basal and stem leaves of some weeds so different in shape? Ques- 

 tions such as this may be made most interesting to the pupils, if in seek- 

 ing the answers they may observe the leaves themselves, which they are 

 sure to do in the process of helping each leaf to make its own picture. 



Observations to be made by pupils: 



(i). What is the general shape of the leaf? Round, heart-shaped, 

 kidney-shaped, oval, oblong or lance-shaped? Is its length or width 

 the greater? Is it largest at base or at tip? 



(2). Is it deeply cut or lobed or entire? 



(3). Is its edge entire, finely or coarsely toothed, scalloped or wavy 

 in outline? 



(4). Is it simple or compound, that is, divided into a number of small 

 leaflets attached to a leaf-stem, like the rose leaf? 



(5). Is the leaf symmetrical, or does it seem unbalanced, larger on 

 one side than on the other? If so, does this habit seem characteristic 

 of all the leaves from the same tree or plant? 



(6). Has the leaf a long or short stem or does it spring directly from 

 the plant-stalk or perhaps clasp it? 



(7). Are the veins straight or branching? Note their number and 

 direction and whether they are more prominent on one side of the leaf 

 than the other. 



(8). Is the surface of the leaf smooth, or rough, or hairy or woolly 

 or armed with bristles or spines? If so, are the spines on its edge or 

 on the ribs and veins? Is there any difference in the texture of the 

 upper and the under side? 



(9). In studying the leaves from related trees or plants, tell in what 

 they resemble each other and in what way they differ. For example, 

 how does the white oak leaf differ from a red oak or a black oak leaf? 



(10). When you find a plant whose base leaves and stem leaves are 

 of different shape and size, describe this difference and note which are 



