Trees and How to Know Them [ 373 



these is the hardy cucumber tree, which produces bell-shaped pale 

 yellow or green flowers from April to June. You must look closely 

 to see them their coloring is so much like that of the spring 

 foliage of the tree. 



APPLE BLOSSOMS 



The blossoms of apple and other fruit trees make a lovely 

 floral display. Children can appreciate the individual beauty of 

 an apple tree in bloom, if they examine the cluster of blossoms 

 that grows at the tip of each twig. With soft green leaves surround- 

 ing each cluster, the effect is that of a conventional bouquet. By 

 contrast, peach and cherry blossoms grow along the sides of the 

 branches. 



Though we find five, six, or even more blossoms in a cluster 

 of apple blossoms, only one or two of each tend to develop into 

 fruit. It is interesting to examine an apple and a blossom together, 

 observing the parts of the flower that may still be seen in the fruit. 

 The five scales at the bottom of the apple are the remains of the 

 calyx lobes that originally enclosed the blossom; and within them 

 are the dried and shrunken stamens and styles. 



You will find many buds on an apple tree branch that produce 

 only leaves; whereas at the side and below the spur (where the 

 apple develops) , there is a bud that will continue the growth of 

 the branch. The following year the blossom buds will appear on 

 this new growth. 



Shrubs Mostly Decorative, Occasionally Harmful 



How TO TELL A SHRUB FROM A TREE 



It is not easy to be exact enough to satisfy a boy or girl 

 who wants to know the difference between a shrub and a tree. 

 Both shrubs and trees are woody, perennial plants. Trees are 

 generally much larger but you may find some shrubs, such as the 

 witch hazel, almost rivaling a small dogwood tree in size. There 

 is a definite line of cleavage, however, in that trees have a single 

 trunk, whereas shrubs are divided into many primary stems at the 

 ground, or near it. 



