SPRING NATURE STUDY. 551 



THE HORSE-CHESTNUT BUD. 



No more exquisite illustration of protection can be found. 

 While the lilac bud is more simple, and its parts and plan 

 more easily understood, it is not as good as the horse-chest- 

 nut bud to show how daintily and wonderfully Mother Na- 

 ture may care for her plant babies. 



It develops very slowly, requiring four weeks or more to 

 unfold its leaves. It should be gathered in February or 

 early in March. 



Important points for early observation are : the position 

 of the buds, the large buds at the ends of the branches, 

 with smaller ones in pairs along the sides ; the egg-shaped 

 form, brown color, and sticky varnish ; the horse-shoe shaped 

 scars in pairs, each with three to seven dots, somewhat like 

 nail-holes in the horse-shoe, and the ring-like scars. Do 

 not ask or tell the children how these are formed. Let 

 them find out for themselves, a " secret" to stimulate in- 

 terest and observation. 



A drawing of a twig, showing buds and scars, made by 

 the teacher as directed by the children, followed by draw- 

 ings by each child, made 4 from nature, not copied from the 

 teacher's picture, will greatly aid in securing careful obser- 

 vation. The children can express by drawing more exactly 

 than by words. 



A week or two later gather up what has been observed. 

 The large terminal bud has swollen and lengthened, show- 

 ing green above and within the scaly covering. The var- 

 nish (the waterproof of the plant babies) is disappearing. 

 Why ? The brown coat has separated, disclosing several 

 pairs of scales, each pair filling the cracks between the two 

 scales below and without it, the outer scales (overcoat) 

 short, thick, tough (Why ?) ; those next within them longer, 

 thinner, more delicate in texture, brown where exposed, 



