126 



ROUND THE YEAR 



good for close packing. The square ends of four 

 leaves would give the bud a great bulging tip. Let 

 us bring our paper model to a point by cutting 

 obliquely through the folds near the apex. Observe 

 that the cut must not interfere with the midrib, lest 

 the leaf be weakened, but should slope towards the 

 opposite side of the folded leaf. When the paper is 



FIG. 41. Leaf of Sycamore. 



unfolded after being cut through, it will be five- 

 fingered. Four such leaves, pointed at base and apex, 

 will go into a neat oval bud. The five-fingered 

 Sycamore-leaf is well-shaped for packing, but I will 

 not say that this is its only merit. 



We will take the bud of the Beech as our next 

 example. It is long, slender and pointed. In spring 



