THE CONIFERS 



729 



crushed under lot)t unnoticed, su close is 

 their resemblance to the stones and 

 earth. Before nightiall the farm worker 

 will collect a pitcherful for his sup]ier. 

 No resemblance so sul)tle that it can h>n^ 

 defy the scrutiny of observant man. In 

 the pasture, aloof and motionless, under 

 the lee of the dry stone dyke, stands a ewe 

 with her new-l)orn lamb ; one more bleat- 

 ing voice to join in the frolics ol spring. 



Sjiring's ])rocession of life I'apidly 

 advances in all its wealth of colour and 

 form. Each day brings added ])leasures, 

 fresh interests, something new or beautiful 

 or good, the exquisite curl of a fern, the 

 bursting tulip, a spotted ladybird, that 

 " primrose of pa|)ilions " the brimstone 

 butterfly, the chif^chaff and the swallow 

 from over the sea, wild cherry l:»lossom — 

 pellucid, waxen white, tht; gcjlden cup of 

 the marsh marigcjld, sunshine and the 



shower softly falling. Al(<ng th»; hedge- 

 banks ground ivy and the bright speed- 

 wells are spreading blue. Soon the wild 

 hyacinths, blue and scented, will ( (Mue 

 again in the woods and co})jjices, and the 

 cowslii)s in the meadows. Upon a S])ray 

 of blossoming bla<kthorn tlu- ( haflin( h 

 sings his " toll-toll, pretty-little <\6-dV." 

 In his mossy-felted nest in the blossc^m- 

 laden orchard there are four small reddish- 

 green and pur])le-sj)otted eggs. 



From dawn to darkness the ha])py 

 sounds of hfe, no hour of silence ; and 

 in the favoured thickets, all night through, 

 the liquid music of the nightingale, so 

 delightful to the ear. What is i)leasanter 

 than, awakened at early dawn, to hsteu 

 to the medley of bird voices. " Kuh, 

 koo " ; distant it seemed ; was it fan<y ? 

 A breathless ]muse, then unmistakably, 

 so near and loud, " Kuh, koo ; Kuh, koo.'" 



K. A. Staig. 



HOW TO KNOW THE TREES 

 GROWING IN BRITAIN 



With Notes, descriptive and photographic, for their Identification 

 in all Seasons of the Year 



By HENRY IRVING 



THE CONIFERS— LARCH, CEDARS, 

 CYPRESSES AND YEW 



THE LARCH 



THE most distinctive feature with 

 ri'S]K'ct to this tree amongst Conifers 

 is that it is not evergreen. For 

 some reason and advantage, it has, in 

 the course of its evolution, acquired the 

 habit, common to most of our trees 

 outside the Conifer grou]), of casting its 

 leaves as a ])rehminary to Ihe winter 

 slee]). It is of interest to note that a 

 Larch seedhng. during the first four years 

 of its hfe, is })artially evergreen — a sur- 

 viving reminiscence of the tree's former 

 habit. 



The Lar( h is ])re-eminenlly a tree of 

 the mountain regions. Its shape is pyra- 



midal, after the manner of the Firs. Its 

 comi)aratively slight brandies emerge 

 in no very defined order Irom a central, 

 ta])ering stem. These branches have at 

 fust a decided downward tendency, but 

 swee]) u])wai(ls towards their ends. ,Mong 

 them are ranged many brandilets. \'er- 

 tically sus])ended, forming a kind <•! liinge. 

 In winter this tree has a j)eculiarly des(»late 

 a])i)earance, more like that of death than 

 slei-]). But in s])ring there is no tree that 

 awakens, in its vivid emerald robing, to 

 a life more blithe and buoyant. 



The bark, whi( h is a red(hsh grey in 

 colour, Hakes off in scales, Inil also i;e- 

 comes strongly furr(nveil. The needles are 



