l62 LEAVES IN WINTER QUARTERS. 



of the hickories, and many other trees that bear 

 alternate buds. 



Look at the various shapes and sizes of these 

 leaf packages set in many ways ! Spindles, 

 knobs, spurs, wrapped in scales, some half-buried 

 in the bark, all of them prepared the summer 

 before, and living through the cold winter, as the 

 seeds do that are in the ground ; only more read- 

 ily than the seeds, do they unfold their leaves 

 and flowers at the first warm breath of spring. 

 Indeed some, like those of the elm and red maple, 

 spread out clusters of long, slender stamens and 

 crimson petals before the leaf buds expand at all. 

 The allspice bushes are decked with gold. Yel- 

 low caterpillars have climbed along the shoots of 

 the "pussy willows," and the alders by the run 

 hang out to the first April breezes their pretty 

 brown tassels weeks before the young leaves have 

 thought of rolling out of their furry blankets ! 



While we are speaking of the blossoms of the 

 alders and willows, it is interesting to notice the 

 different manner in which these two kinds of 

 shrubs bear their separate flower-buds. On any 

 Winter's day in your walks just look at the alders. 

 How shining, vigorous and healthy they are. 

 "They have a cheery, hey-day appearance and 

 switch their long catkins in the very face of Win- 

 ter." But these graceful plants have other less 

 conspicuous aments, which will be overlooked 



