222 IN LOWER FLORIDA WILDS 



and wandering' far and wide, is seeking to return 

 to the home of his father? 



It will be noticed that most of the leaves of this 

 forest are rather small, that they are entire (hav- 

 ing no serrations or lobes), that they are of firm, 

 thick texture and are usually glossy above. In 

 all these particulars they differ decidedly from the 

 leaves of the northern woods. In cooler regions 

 of the Temperate Zone the trees have what might 

 be called "hurry-up leaves." During half the 

 year the weather is too cold for vegetable growth 

 and as a consequence there is a complete rest 

 among plants. The warm spring starts the sap 

 to moving, but there is only a brief season for 

 growth and the preparation for another winter. 

 The proper kind of leaf for such conditions is thin, 

 with roughened surfaces and irregular edges — 

 one exposing the greatest possible amount of sur- 

 face to the air and light. And it is just sach 

 leaves we see in the northern forests. Practically 

 all the growth of northern deciduous trees is made 

 in six weeks, and during this brief time the leaves 

 are rushing the crude sap up from the roots and 

 exposing it to the sun for the necessary process of 

 elaboration, so that it may be returned in proper 



