THE ICE-COAT ON THE TREES 167 



In any event, the results of the weighings and measurements 

 above mentioned should be included and the beneficial effects 

 in pruning of dead branches and twigs, and the harmful 

 effects of breakage of twigs on trees of different sorts, should 

 be recorded. 



Specific assignments of work to be done is, therefore, left to 

 the instructor. 



An additional study on The Snow-Coat of the Trees may be 

 made immediately after the fall of a soft heavy snow, before 

 it is disturbed by either wind or sun. Many of the same 

 phenomena noted in the preceding outline will be observable. 

 There will be little damage to the trees observed; for the 

 snow, loosely piled, is easily dislodged. It is heaped up on 

 every possible support, and the differences in the aspect of 

 the trees is due to the differences in the nature of the support 

 for the snow that they offer. Horizontal boughs are con- 

 tinuously robed in white ; erect boughs bear segregated snow 

 masses in their forks. Every stub and angle and bud is snow- 

 capped. Little hillocks of snow rest upon the upturned fruit 

 clusters of sumach and wild carrot, and equally upon 

 the pendent clusters of ninebarks and mountain ash. The 

 bushy crown of close-growing shrubs are wholly enveloped in 

 a meshwork of white; so, also, are the interlacing sprays of 

 witch-hazel and spreading dogwood. Great masses of white 

 rest upon the declining boughs of hemlocks and other ever- 

 greens ; and each of these masses in the spruce terminates in 

 blunt finger-like processes, and looks like a great clumsy glove 

 backed' with ermine. The color contrasts which the snow 

 makes with the dark boughs of the oaks, with the red twigs 

 of the osier dogwoods, and with the scarlet fruit of bar- 

 berries, are charming. Observing and recording such things 

 as these is a pleasant occupation for a still winter morning fol- 

 lowing a snowfall, when the out-of-doors is like a fairy land. 



