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Home Nature-Study Course. 



THE ALDERS. 



Preliminary work. — When gathering twigs in the early spring for forcing in the 

 sunny windows, cut some longer twigs of the alders. These alder twigs may have 

 upon them the staminate and pistillate catkins, the leaf buds and the last years' 

 cone-like seed vessels. 



LESSON CXVHL 



HOW THE ALDER LOOKS IN WINTER. 



Purpose. — To teach the pupils to observe the trees in winter and to 

 notice that during this apparently lifeless period they are providing for 

 future activity. 



Note carefully the appear- 

 ance of the twigs before 

 bringing them in-doors ; note 

 that there are buds of differ- 

 ent sizes and shapes on differ- 

 ent parts of the branch. If 

 the teacher is provided with 

 a hand lens, and she should 

 surely be thus equipped be- 

 cause of the added interest 

 this gives to most nature- 

 study work, let her uncover 

 a bud by removing the scales 

 with a sharp-pointed pen 

 knife and carefully open 

 what lies within, and she will 

 find a cluster of leaves plaited 

 and folded closely ; they are 

 I velvety and green and full of 

 ; life, even in mid-winter. Dur- 

 ing the past summer after the 

 ((leaves had been fully devel- 

 oped and had made the year's growth of wood, the tree began to get ready 

 for next year. Tiny green catkins began to form at the ends of the twigs, 

 and by the end of September were about an inch long, round, hard, green 

 and glossy ; the winter frost may brown them a little, but does them no 

 harm. These are the staminate catkins and are all in readiness so that 

 the first touch of spring warmth and sunshine causes them to " tassel out," 

 which means the thrusting forth of the anthers filled with pollen. The 

 pistillate buds are small and cone-shaped, and situated just below the 

 staminate catkins and on the same twig. 



Alder blossoms. 



