72 OUR WOODLAND TREES. 
varying rules, and which constantly vary not 
only in plants of different species but in different 
individuals of the same species, there is a 
bursting forth of life—a budding into greenness— 
accompanied by the power—truly it is to us a 
mysterious power—to reproduce everything that 
has been produced before in the same plant— 
stems, branches of these, foliage, and fruit? All 
that can be explained of the branch is that it is a 
continuation of the stem on which it grows, with 
continuation of the stem-tissues, pith, wood, and 
bark, both inner and outer bark, moulded in 
varying forms and with varying degrees of grace 
and symmetry, but always with beauty—for 
whatever the Tree there is always delightful 
gradation from trunk to branch, from branch 
to twig, from twig to tiniest spray. Nature has 
beautiful, though varying, means by which to 
protect the tender bud from injury by cold or 
wet—biting frost or excessive damp. She covers 
it sometimes with gum, sometimes with hairs or 
scales, and sometimes with softest silk. 
From the twigs or sprays of the spreading 
branch it is an easy transition to the leaves—the 
