710 



THE NATURE BOOK 



NEEDLES OF CLUSTER, AUSTRIAN, 



SCOTS, AND WEYMOUTH PINES. 



(From left to right.) 



Under the microscope each pollen 

 grain is seen to possess two air 

 bladders in aid of flight. 



Their fruits are, with exceptions, 

 the familiar woody cones. These 

 are made up of hard scales spirally 

 arranged round a central axis. 

 These scales overlap like tiles, 

 being further made secure by a 

 resinous glue. Enclosed and pro- 

 tected by these the seeds mature, 

 two in each scale-roofed chamber, 

 till such time as they are fully ripe. 

 Eventually the scales relax, in 

 some instances gaping open, in 

 others separating and falling, to set 

 free the seeds, which, being winged, 

 are wind borne and dispersed. But 

 some Conifers, as the Yew and the 

 Juniper, produce not cones but 

 stone-fruits, having their seeds sur- 

 rounded by or embedded in an 

 edible pulp. 



All the Conifers which will come 

 under notice here, with the single 

 exception of the Yew, belong to the 

 Pine family. This includes the 



Firs, with leaves single but crowded on 

 the twigs ; the Pines proper, with leaves 

 in bundles of two, three, or five ; the 

 Larch and the Cedars, with leaves in tufts 

 of twenty or more ; the Cypresses, with 

 leaves as close fitting scales. 



THE FIRS 



Those most commonly found are the 

 Spruce, the Silver Fir, and the Douglas 

 Fir. The shape of a Fir tree is pyramidal, 

 having its branches arranged circularly 

 and outspreading, at regular intervals 

 up tlie main stem, longest below, shorten- 

 ing gradually upwards to the leading 

 shoot, which makes the apex of the 

 pyramid. Each unbranched interval on 

 the main stem represents a year's growth. 



In distinguishing between the Firs, 

 and for comparison with the Pines, 

 chief attention may be given to the leaves 

 and the fruits. The leaves of the Firs, 

 attached singly, and having the appearance 



SHOOTS OF CONIFERS. 

 Spruce. Douftlas Fir. 



Scots Pine. 



Austrian Pine. 



Larch. 



