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chance, notice how hard each leaf tries to get just as 
much sun and air as it possibly can. 
In the first place, the thin, flat leaf blades are so 
spread out that every part is exposed to the light 
and air. 
Then notice how the leaves are placed in reference 
to one another. 
Almost every single one is fastened to the tree so 
‘as to get its fair share of sunshine. 
When you think of the many thousands of leaves 
borne by one tree, it astonishes you to see how seldom 
one leaf gets in another’s light. e 
And the shapes of leaves are always suited to their 
arrangement on the tree. 
If you should take the leaves of a chestnut tree and 
replace them by the leaves of a maple, you would 
find the maple leaves all getting in each other’s way, or 
else you would see that they were taking up a great 
deal more room than necessary. 
But when a leaf is studied on its own tree, one sees 
that its shape is the very best that could be imagined 
for its position. 
And in the smaller plants we notice this same thing. 
And when you remember that Leaf Green cannot 
feed the plant unless Sunbeam comes to her assistance, 
you realize how necessary it is that each leaf be within 
the reach of Sunbeam’s visits. | 
DANA’S PLANTS. — II 
