28 THE TREE BOOK 



The shining willow is, perhaps, the easiest 

 tree to examine for leaf buds, and you would 

 better try it first. The bud, enclosed in a single 

 wrapping, is found at the base of the leaf-stalk. 

 This wrapping is an ideal sample of Nature's 

 way of doing up a parcel. It is made of two 

 tiny leaves, joined by their margins, and fitted 

 to their new use. If you are careful you may 

 strip the wrapper off in one piece with a needle. 

 Then the little bud will lay bare before you. 

 But you will not be able to see how perfect it 

 really is unless you have a magnifier. Here 

 are five or six of next year's leaves, perfect in 

 every way, even to the branching veins and the 

 delicate toothing at its edges. A tiny space 

 separates each leaf and the one next within the 

 cluster. This space quickly lengthens under the 

 loving glance of the spring sunshine, so that a 

 bud left to achieve its destiny, becomes a spray. 

 The inmost leaves of the bud inclose the flower 

 cluster; for, on the willow, blossoms and foliage 

 appear together. 



Buds containing both blossoms and foliage 

 are called mixed buds. Leaf buds are usually 

 slender in form; flower buds are plump and 

 hairy; mixed buds are larger than those con- 

 taining flowers or leaves alone. Sorting the 

 kinds of buds, and finding out all we can about 



