THE BEECH AND THE OAK 



these to hardness, never thnching nor 

 faihng of their purpose from their phice 

 of junction with the main stem to their 

 clustered twigs at the extremities. 



Spring opens out till most other trees 

 are approaching full leafhood ; but the 

 Oak, with masterly reserve, gives no 



into activity, exjiand, and break into 

 leaf, so that, scattered over all the broad 

 exjjanse of darkened green, are the ruddy 

 tints and fresh brightness of young and 

 growing leaf rosettes. 



In aiitumn the fruits are plainh' mani- 

 fest, changing to ripe brownness in their 



THE COMMON OAK IN WINTER. 



sign, save by the spreading of a ruddy 

 glow over all its surface with the bright- 

 ening of its multitudinous bud-clusters. 

 Only when the season is well assured will 

 a closer observation show that the deep- 

 ening ruddiness of the whole has come 

 of the first thrusting forth of new twigs 

 and tiny leaves ; a ruddiness which turns 

 to green and gold as the tasselled catkins 

 of the pollen-bearing flowers enlarge and 

 droop amongst the increasing foliage. 



By midsummer the tree is in full leaf. 

 The withered pollen-bearing catkins, 

 having done their work, litter the ground. 

 The leaves, growing in rosettes and 

 clusters, are bright green ; they gradually 

 darken in tint. Then, in the advanced 

 summer, a new process begins. Many 

 buds that did not open earlier now start 



green cups. The greenery of the Oak 

 still persists, after most other trees have 

 assumed their autumn tints and some 

 have lost their leaves ; the Oak, as it 

 were, winning reward for spring's reserve 

 b\- longer maintenance of summer's crown. 

 Finallv, the green changes to russet 

 brown, the dried leaves for the most part 

 retaining their position till late gales clear 

 the twigs. But on young trees the dead 

 leaves often stay till the new si)ring ojiens. 

 The /rank is, as described above, 

 columnar as a lighthouse tower, built 

 for endurance, thicker at the base, and 

 thickening again where division begins 

 and the great lower limbs jiroject. 

 The bark is thick and deeply furrowed, 

 in age l)ccoming knotted and gnarled. 

 It is light grey in colour, often rendered 



