BABY LEAVES 53 



white. Most of these under surfaces are coated 

 with fur, or with wool, or silk, or even tiny 

 particles of wax. Why? Do you recall what 

 we said about the leaf stomata? These little 

 mouths which enable the leaf to breathe off the 

 moisture it does not need are nearly all located 

 on the under side of the leaf. The extra coat- 

 ing is to prevent them from giving off their 

 moisture too rapidly. 



Did you ever watch the leaves go to sleep? 

 Baby leaves cuddle down shortly after sundown. 

 All their little stomata close drowsily and they 

 shift 'themselves s'o that as little of their leaf 

 surface as possible is presented to the sky. 

 For their skins are very thin and tender, and 

 even with all the little mouths closed, moisture 

 radiates from them. If too much escapes, they 

 may get very chilly. Indeed, scientists have 

 found that often leaves radiate and chill so 

 rapidly that their substance is from six to ten 

 degrees colder than the air. You know what 

 this would mean on a cool night in early spring. 

 The little leaves might get pretty severely 

 nipped! So they huddle close together and 

 wish, no doubt, that they had not been so hasty 

 in shedding their blankets. 



Nor are the baby leaves the only drowsy, 

 chilly ones! As twilight deepens, all the 



