16 THE OAK. 



appearance cotemporaneously with the young leaves, 

 and under two different forms. First, there are 

 innumerable yellowish tufts and fringes depending 

 from near the extremities of the twigs ; among 

 them are the tips of the rudiments of the future 

 acorns, scarcely larger than the head of a pin, and 

 of a deep red colour. The oak is thus one of the 

 trees in which the distinction of sex is strongly 

 marked. All plants express, in some way or other, 

 the omnipresence in organic nature of masculine 

 and feminine. But it is not always palpable to the 

 eye. Some philosophers consider that where it is 

 most plainly set forth, we have a nearer step to- 

 wards perfection of structure ; and on this ground 

 they regard the oak and its congeners as more 

 exalted in the scale of vegetable life even than 

 apple-trees. Acorns would never be developed 

 from the rudiments in question, were the tasseled 

 fringes not to cooperate, and contrariwise the 

 tasseled fringes are incapable of yielding acorns. 

 Summer aids the development; then comes calm 

 October, and the embossed cups, round as a bubble 

 upon the water, holding them up awhile, as a young 

 mother holds up her child, cast them to the earth 

 in kindly largess. But although the acorns may 

 sprout where they fall, none grow to be even 

 saplings beneath the shade of the parent. Only 

 those that get carried away from it become oaks. 

 And this planting has been observed to be largely 



