153 THE MICROSCOPE AND ITS LESSONS. 



midst of its maiden tresses; another glory of the elm, 

 throwing out its wide arms, as if rejoicing in its strength ; 

 and another glory of the lime, with its sheltered shade 

 inviting us to enter and linger." * 



Yes ; and it is not upon the leaf of the lime and its 

 sweet blossom only that the eloquent author might have 

 written. Had he known of the marvellous structure of 

 its stem, he would have been as much overwhelmed as 

 you will be : no artist could do justice to it, for it far 

 exceeds the beauty of the oak, and it is equally im- 

 possible to convey a 

 faithful description of 

 it in words. Here it is. 

 Look at it! It is a 

 section of the stem of 

 a lime tree of two 

 and a half years' 

 growth, cut obliquely 

 through the junction 

 of a branch with the 

 stem, in which there 

 are no less than eleven 



7"" ., different objects attract- 



Section of oak, eighteen years growth. . J 



ing our attention as 



well as our admiration. First, there is the pith, with 

 its hexagonal cells, in which are grains of starch ; then 

 there are the numerous star-shaped raphides, dividing 

 the cells of the pith into large, circular, oval spaces ; then 

 the sheath outside these cells, containing more starch- 

 grains; then comes the first year's growth of woody 

 fibre ; then the second zone, for, of course, you know 

 that the tree, like a man, leaves its mark upon every 

 one of its years' growths; but, lastly, the most interest- 

 * Dr, McCosh, 



