476 



Home Nature-Study Course. 



point are the black, red, scarlet and 

 pin oaks. Those leaves with the 

 pointed tips are nearly as smooth 

 on the under side as on the upper, 

 while those with rounded lobes are 

 more or less rough on the under 

 side and quite a different shade of 

 green than is the upper surface. 



These leaves should be carefully- 

 drawn and incidentally labelled. 

 In the lower grades the leaves may 

 be mounted and pressed, and if the 

 children remember their names 

 they may put on the labels. 



References. — " The Tree Book," 



Rogers, pp. 190-228 ; " Our Native Trees," Keeler, pp. 323-377 ; " Trees 



of Northeastern America," Newhall, pp. 101-128. 



Chestnut Oak. White Oak. 



These liave lobes of leaves rounded. 

 The acorns are sweet and mature in 

 one year. 



LESSON XLIV. 



THE ACORNS. 



Purpose. — To get the child to think that the acorn is the seed of the 

 oak, and to notice the differences in the kinds of acorns and that some 

 acorns are edible and some bitter. 



Observations. — There are some differences between the acorns of 

 the oaks of the round lobed leaves and those of the pointed lobed leaves, 

 for the former mature their acorns in one vear and the acorns are alwavs 

 situated on the new wood, while the pointed lobed group require two 

 years for maturing the acorns, and they are always situated on the last 

 year's wood. Also the round lobed group have their acorns on stems, 

 while the others grow their acorns very close to the branch. The acorns 

 of the white and chestnut oaks are sweet and almost as good as chestnuts ; 

 in fact much appreciated by the squirrels and chipmunks, w-hile the 

 acorns of the sharp tipped oak leaves are bitter. But many of these acorns 

 are great favorites with the children, as the red oak furnishes little 

 housekeepers with cups and saucers for tea parties. These acorns are 

 large, the cup is deep and the saucer broad and flat, each needing just a 

 slight rub on a stone to remove the point from the acorn and the steni 

 scar from the saucer to make them sit up straight. The acorns of the 

 scarlet oak are used b\- the boys for tops, as they are particularly well 

 balanced and will whirl for a long time. After the acorns are studied 

 they should be planted, and when they begin to grow the seedling tree 

 should be studied. 



