THE PLANT AND THE SEASONS 25 



ing the penetration of cold to the immature 

 leaves. 



Generally speaking, in nearly all trees these 

 scales represent parts of leaves which have been 

 arrested in their development or even have par- 

 tially died, and have thus become horny in texture. 

 In plants such as the Lilac and Rhododendron 

 the bud scales are modifications of entire leaves, 

 and keep green throughout the winter. In one 

 of our deciduous species, the Wayfaring Tree 

 (Viburnum Lantana], the lowest leaves of all act 

 as bud scales, and these, owing to a woolly coating, 

 are able to survive through the winter and finally 

 develop as ordinary foliage leaves. 



It is a wise provision which has ordained that 

 the tree should become denuded of its foliage 

 before the winter. This season is a time of rough 

 weather, when the strong gales sweep over the 

 country and threaten to destroy all before them. 

 Any of the large forest trees in full leaf would 

 offer a tremendous resistance to the wind, and, of 

 course, suffer accordingly. Now and again, when a 

 severe summer gale has visited a part of the country 

 which is wooded, it has been possible to gather 

 some idea of the havoc which a strong wind works 

 among trees in foliage. It is interesting to observe 

 that practically all the so-called evergreen trees 



