Tree Study. 



8oi 



which bears the pistillate flow- 

 ers where there is no pollen ; 

 but this is part of the life 

 scheme of the willows, for the 

 seed-bearing flowers yield 

 nectar while the pollen- bear- 

 ing flowers yield only pollen. 

 As pollen and nectar both 

 form the food of bees, these 

 little carriers pass back and 

 forth and fertilize the flowers. 

 I have seen many lessons 

 given to the children in our 

 schools on the pussy, willow, 

 and I never saw but two which 

 were given properly, revealing 

 the whole story. One of these 

 was in a primary room where 

 the little children came to me 

 with their treasures and told 

 me the pretty story of the 

 pollen and the bees; and to- 

 gether we studied the seeds 

 which developed on the twigs 

 in the schoolroom window and 

 discovered for ourselves how 

 they were scattered. As a 

 matter of fact, it is because 

 the " pussies " of the pussy 

 willows are so noticeable that 

 most people have discovered 

 the willow blossoms At all, al- 

 though the other species have 

 blossoms quite as interesting, 

 if not so showy. 



This spring the Home 

 Nature-Study Class will study 

 the blossoms of trees and find 

 as many of these as possible. 

 Please send to me pressed 

 specimens of the blossoms 

 labeled with the name of the 



51 



Flowers of red maple. 



Flowers of elms. American elm at the left. 

 Slippery dm at the right. 



