APRIL 



225 



wood. The fruits are particularly interesting from their 

 modifications for wind distribution. 



Horse-chestnuts and Buckeyes : 



Many of the details of the horse-chestnut have been 

 given under the buds in the previous chapter. 



In general the buckeyes may be distinguished from 

 the horse-chestnut by the 

 fact that their leaves have 

 only five leaflets, instead 

 of seven, and are much less 

 woolly in the bud. 



The names, Hyacinth 

 Tree and Giant's Nosegay, 

 very well express its stately 

 and beautiful effect in the 

 spring, when its erect clus- 

 ters of flowers bloom forth 

 from their dark green 

 ground, like burning lamps 

 on a huge chandelier. In 

 London, the blooming of 

 the horse-chestnut is an- 

 nounced in the papers, and 

 crowds of people go out to 

 Bushey Park, Hampton 

 Court (Wolsey's old palace), to see its avenues of mag- 

 nificent trees. 



Very few of the flowers ripen into fruit, which is a 

 large prickly ball of green. It splits open into three 

 chambers, each of which should contain a seed; but as in 

 the case of the sweet chestnut, often one or two of- them 

 grow at the expense of the others. 



Q 



Black Ash. 



