148 PLANTS OF THE ALPINE MEADOWS 



dry, the hay is carried up the slopes in truly 

 enormous bundles by a staggering Switzer, or by one 

 of his female relations, to the hay chalets, which are 

 frequently perched up in the air on the points of 

 pillars of stone. Similar foundations are often used 

 for our hayricks in England. These pillars raise the 

 hay chalets above the level of the winter's snows, and 

 so secure the crop against damp. 



Now we reach the second stage. The moment 

 the plant is mutilated by the scythe, it starts growth 

 again, helped by the influence of a fresh dressing of 

 manure. The new growth, however, is not so 

 vigorous as the first. The earlier crop represents a 

 growth prepared for during the late autumn, and to 

 some extent during the winter, but especially in the 

 months of early spring. Now, however, both the 

 period is shorter, and damage by the scythe has to be 

 made good. The strong young winter buds have 

 gone, and the new ones, less matured, are further 

 weakened by the fact that the leaves of the plant 

 which supply the energy for growth have also fallen 

 before the reaper. 



The scythe, however, does not cut down the plant 

 quite close to the ground. The stem which remains 

 has first to heal its wounds, which it does by the 

 growth of a pad of corky tissues over the injured 

 part. Next, new leaves are developed afresh, and 

 lateral buds, already existing in a dormant state in the 

 axil of leaves right at the base of the stem, which 

 have escaped the scythe, now grow out into branches. 



