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them all very carefully. Notice the position of their 
buds, and whether these grow close together or are’scat- 
tered far apart, and whether one bud grows just oppo- 
site another; and look for the marks left by the leaves 
which broke off last fall. 
When the buds are large enough, you will find it 
interesting to pull them apart (but you must do this 
with great care) and see how beautifully wrapped are 
the baby leaves and flowers. 
I chose the branch of the horse-chestnut for special 
examination, because its large buds show their contents 
plainly. 
When a bud grows on the tip of a stem, its work is to 
carry on that stem; but when it grows just above a 
leaf scar, you can be sure that it is a young branch. 
Such a branch may bear either leaves or flowers, or 
both. 
But buds do not all grow up at the same time, or 
necessarily at all. 
The strongest ones are the first to open. The others 
may keep quiet for some time, not unfolding, perhaps, 
unless some of the earlier ones are killed. In this case, 
the waiting buds try to fill the gap, and carry on the 
good work of clothing the tree with leaves and flowers. 
Sometimes they wait over till another year, and occa- 
sionally a bud never opens at all. 
You all enjoyed planting seeds, and watching them 
e¢row under your very eyes. 
Now I am going to propose to you a scheme which 
has given me quite as much pleasure as my pot gar- 
dens. . 
