In Winter Woods 397 



into blooming any month of the year. Their foli- 

 age is practically evergreen, so that their untimely 

 energy results in nothing worse than the production 

 of a few futile flowers, which ripen no seed. But 

 if the trees were to put forth when summer was 

 not nigh at hand, their indiscretion might cost us 

 the bloom of spring orchards and the luxuriance 

 of midsummer woods. 



When vegetable life resumes its functions the 

 starches and other food-substances stored in the 

 wood follow the route of the elaborated sap. The 

 starch-grains are dissolved and changed into fluid 

 glucose, which, with other nutrient fluids, feels 

 its way into the inner bark, and then creeps 

 along through it into the buds where life is 

 stirring. 



But were the little sieves all open through the 

 winter the plant-food stored in the wood could 

 make its way to the buds at any time, and the buds, 

 thus generously fed, could unfold in a few days. 

 Lured by the false promise of a January thaw, 

 baby-blossoms and delicate leaves would issue, all 

 too quickly, into what would speedily prove a cold 

 and inhospitable world. And all the energy used in 

 putting them forth would be so much dead loss 

 to the tree. So wise Nature keeps the stores of 



