82 JSotan^ 



laborer in the field, the lady in her parlor, all are 

 happier and better for the coming of the flowers. 



*' For lo, the winter is past ! 

 The flowers appear on the earth, 

 The time of the singing birds is come." 



We have noted great variety of form and color in 

 leaves ; in the flower we find in these respects infi- 

 nite diversity. Hoav many children have spent 

 hours in vainly searching for two exactly similar 

 blades in a clump of striped grass? How many 

 more have spent other hours in seeking for two 

 pansies exactly like? 



The life object of the flower is the production of 

 seed. All the j3arts of the flower are in some way 

 fitted to further that end. What is the story of the 

 flower ? 



The stem and branches having developed a certain 

 amount of leafage, may at length put forth blossoms. 

 These spring, as leaves do, from the tips or axils of 

 the branches. In truth, a flower is a modified branch, 

 and all its parts are modified leaves. We will pass 

 over this distinction of science, and will consider the 

 flower as we popularly think and speak of it, the 

 beautiful producer of seeds. 



On most trees the flowers precede the leaves ; there 

 is enough sa^^ in the stems for their production, and 



