SUGGESTIONS FOR TREE STUDY 163 



of a leaf? Lay the twig down on the table spreading the 

 leaves out ; do they overlap one another very much ? Stand 

 under the tree and look up. Do the leaves completely 

 screen the sky from your view ? Are there any leaves en- 

 tirely shaded by others? Are the stems of all the leaves 

 the same length? Where are the youngest leaves on the 

 twigs? How can you tell? Are all the leaves exactly 

 the same shape? Are they the same color on the upper 

 and under surface? Can you tell how much of the twig 

 has grown this year ? It will make an interesting exercise 

 to compare a number of different kinds of trees as to the 

 growth the twigs have made during the season. 



Do you find anything else on the twig besides leaves ? 

 Where are the tiny buds situated ? We say when they are 

 situated between the leaf stem and the twig that they are in 

 the axil of the leaf. Is there a bud in the axil of every leaf ? 

 Is there a bud at the end of the twig ? What are the buds 

 for ? The tree, then, has been getting ready for next year. 



Some of the trees will still have their fruit hanging on 

 them. Such are Norway maple, ash, hackberry, box- 

 elder, birch, catalpa, alder, sycamore, locust, and chestnut. 

 If these trees are selected for study, note where the fruit is 

 fastened to the twig and whether or not there is a cluster 

 of seeds. Have the seeds any special adaptation for dis- 

 semination ? Open up one of the so-called seeds to find the 

 true seed on the inside. If there are no seeds on the tree, 

 look on the ground for some that may have fallen off. 

 The sugar maple drops its fruit in the latter part of summer. 

 Have the children gather seeds of different kinds and plant 

 them. 



Have the children look at home for trees of the same 



