608 NATURE STUDY. 



THE LEAVES. 1 



44 We have a lilac branch. The leaves on this branch are arranged 

 in twos. The two leaves come from the same part of the stem, but 

 one leaf comes from one side of the stem and the other leaf from the 

 opposite side of the stem, like this (drawing). We call this the oppo- 

 site arrangement of leaves. The first leaves of our bean have an op- 

 posite arrangement. 



The leaves of our plum branch are arranged in ones. There is a 

 leaf near the bottom of the stem, then a little way up but not on the 

 same side. It goes on like this until the sixth leaf is over the first. 

 We call this the alternate arrangement. Our morning glories have an 

 alternate arrangement of leaves. Mother Nature arranges them in a 

 plan and this is the plan. 



She put them out as far as she could get them out so she could let 

 them get the sunlight and let their factories go. If their factories did 

 not go they would die and we would not get so much air. Our bean 

 plant got the sun in the front row but the ones (leaves, C. B. S. ) in 

 the back did not and so their stems began to grow and now they are 

 tall and they can get the sun. The plants ought to get the sun so 

 their factories can go and hey would die if they didn't go, so they 

 don't want to die." JOHN FARREL, THIRD GRADE. 



1 The first two paragraphs are copied from a class reproduction. The re- 

 mainder of the paper is an individual reproduction. 



