SPRING FLOWERS. 41 



nipped off when the trees are young and first begin to 

 bud, more food-stuffs are laid by to produce finer heads 

 of bloom in later years. In the case of these alders here 

 (which, however, being wind-fertilised, need make no 

 special display), we can actually see where the catkins 

 come from : for they were formed last autumn, and have 

 hung on the trees unopened through the whole winter, 

 so as to catch the very first chance of sunshine in the 

 beginning of spring. So far as my observation goes, 

 very few annuals or other unaided plants ever have con- 

 spicuous flowers ; and those few generally produce their 

 blossoms late in the season, after the leaves have had 

 plenty of time to make preparations for feeding them. 

 Even these rare exceptions are very deceptive and 

 papery flowers, like the poppies or the hand-to-mouth 

 convolvuluses, which manage to make a great deal of 

 show at very little real expense. They spend all they 

 have on a little gaudy colour, thinly spread over an 

 extremely large flat surface. 



