Evergreens. (A walk) 59 



years. Instead, however, of all falling off at once, 

 leaving the tree bare, evergreen leaves are renewed by 

 degrees, as they grow old. 



In tropical countries most trees are evergreen, for 

 there is no winter to interrupt growth, and although the 

 trees may sometimes suffer from lack of rain, their 

 tender leaves are never nipped by cold winds and frosts 

 as they would be in Europe. In North Africa and the 

 southern parts of Europe we find what is known as 

 a sub -tropical vegetation, where deciduous trees and 

 pines grow side by side with the hardier palms. Further 

 north, where the winter grows colder and longer, life for 

 the tropical plants becomes impossible. Trees that 

 keep their leaves throughout the year are still to be 

 found, but they are very unlike the broad-leaved palms 

 of the Tropics. The evergreens of Northern Europe 

 are nearly all Conifers, i.e. of the great cone-bearing 

 tribe, and have a strong family likeness to each other. 

 They are hardy trees and will thrive in mountainous 

 districts where little else will grow. The steep rocky 

 slopes on the sides of Swiss mountains are generally 

 thickly clad with pine trees whose pointed tips and 

 gloomy colouring seem to suit the rugged character of 

 the scenery. On the outskirts of these woods may be 

 seen quantities of small seedling trees springing up. 

 This would not happen if the conditions under which 

 they grow did not thoroughly suit them conditions in 

 which the ground beneath them is often frozen hard, 

 while their branches are continually exposed to high 

 winds and to sudden changes of temperature. The 

 leaves are often covered with snow or dripping with 

 moisture in the early morning, and a few hours later 

 they may be bathed in bright sunshine. This variable 



