212 HOUSE, GARDEN, AND FIELD 



resting on their edges, and every book should come opposite 

 the interval between two of the books in the next circle, 

 i.e. they should be set alternately. The covers of every 

 book will represent the halves of a leaf folded in two. 

 This rough model gives a good notion of the way in which 

 oak-leaves are set in the bud, but the number is not always 

 exactly nine, and other things besides leaves enter into 

 the bud, which I omit for simplicity's sake. Now each 

 leaf, being set in the manner described, will have one 

 half facing the centre of the bud, while the other half will 

 face outwards. The outer half will be less pinched for 

 room, and will therefore grow bigger than the other. This 

 is, I believe, the reason for the unequal-sided oak-leaf. 



We have still to account for the sinuous margin. Lord 

 Avebury, in his book " On Buds and Stipules," points out 

 that though the leaves of oak and beech " are of about 

 equal length, the buds of the oak are much shorter than 

 those of the beech. The young leaves of the beech are 

 able to lie straight in the bud ; those of the oak have not 

 room to do so, and are, consequently, bent somewhat like 

 a bow along the midrib. Now, if the outer edge were 

 straight, the result would be that when the young leaf 

 emerged and straightened itself the edge must tear. This, 

 however, is avoided by its being thrown into folds ; and 

 this, I believe, accounts for the lobes and bays so char- 

 acteristic of the oak-leaf." 



Oak-trees cast their leaves very late, and young oaks 

 sometimes do not cast them till spring. All winter through 

 the tree may bear brown, withered leaves, and in a very 

 mild winter the leaves will even remain green till after 

 Christmas. This is true, not only of our common oak, 

 but also of the Turkey oak, which is not uncommon in 

 parks and gardens. The beech, which is closely related to 

 the oak, is another tree which when young keeps its 

 withered leaves on the boughs. I sometimes fancy that 

 this may be a vestige of the evergreen habit, which certain 

 southern oaks, e.g. the evergreen oak, the cork oak and 



