34 WHAT TO DO IN THE COUNTRY 



bursting seed boxes on the Furze caused the 

 cracking sound I mentioned. It pleased me very 

 much to know you had done so. 



One of you told me that you picked up a twig 

 with a bud at the end covered with sticky stuff, 

 and you wondered why it was so covered. This 

 sticky bud had still on its Winter waterproof coat, 

 which many Winter leaf buds wear to protect 

 them from the rain and snow and frost. 



The Horse Chestnut has a very sticky Winter 

 coat lined with wool to protect the tender baby 

 shoot within from being frozen or frost-bitten. As 

 soon as the Spring comes, the warm sun melts the 

 sticky stuff, and the scales which form the W^inter 

 coat open and finally drop off. The baby shoot 

 then shakes out its leaves and soon grows to a 

 large branch. 



Just as the Winter buds are opening the Bees 

 begin to be very busy. They make a thorough 

 inspection of their hives, to repair and spring- 

 clean them as we do our houses. Sometimes they 

 find a crack or crevice which needs mending, and 

 at once some of them fly off to the Winter buds 

 and gather some of the sticky stuff, which they 

 use just as a cyclist uses rubber solution to mend 

 a puncture. 



Those of you who have been in the country 

 before must help those who are going for the first 

 time. Take them to the fields and woods and 



