270 THE STUDY OP TREES. 



When a grown tree is examined cones are found upon it. 

 The Spruce, Pine, Larch, and a number of other trees are 

 known as conifers or cone- bearers. What are these cones ? 

 If we examine an ordinary cone on a Spruce tree we find it 

 hanging at the tip of a branch. It may be as long as five 

 or six inches ; it is brown in colour and consists of a 

 number of strong, not very thick, overlapping scales. 

 They are arranged in spirals. Pupils should trace the 

 spirals round the cone. 



If we examine these cones in the spring we will find 

 that the scales stand slightly apart. With a little trouble 

 we can cut out one or two when we find that beneath 

 each there are two small seeds each with a thin mem- 

 branous wing-like attachment. We thus see that a cone 

 is a kind of fruit. It is important to notice that it is an 

 open fruit ; that is, the seeds are not shut in as they are 

 in most fruits we know (a gymnosperm). We also under- 

 stand the significance of the wing-like expansion, when we 

 recollect the various winged fruits we know (p. 239) . But 

 it is important to notice that here the seed is winged, not 

 the fruit. Let the pupils draw a cone and a scale with its 

 two " winged" seeds in position. 



What is the history of a cone ? If the teacher has 

 access to a growing Spruce Fir in the month of May or 

 early June, he should endeavour to find the young cones. 

 Those bearing the ovules (potential seeds) grow at the 

 end of the previous year's twigs. They stand erect, are 

 nearly two inches long and of a beautiful red colour. On 

 the upper surface of the scales of the cone the ovules with 

 their wings may be seen. 



Amongst the leaves of other branches on the same tree 

 are to be found the male cones. They are not terminal but 

 lateral; they are smaller and green in colour. Beneath 

 the green leaf-like covering are the red stamens, and on 

 their under side may be seen the pollen sacs. When mature 

 these pollen sacs split and the pollen is borne on the wind 

 to the female cones, where it reaches the ovules and pollin- 

 ation thus takes place. The pollen grains are of special 

 interest because each grain has a pair of small air-bladders 

 attached which float it on the wind. 



