THE STUDY OF LEAVES 15 



the leaves which are regularly arranged along them. The 

 stems are easily seen to be jointed, and the two things 

 which make these joints are the leaves and the buds, just 

 above the stalk of the leaf, in their axils. These buds 

 will sooner or later burst and form new branches or else 

 flowers. The buds are of various sizes, but even if small 

 they can usually be seen, though occasionally they are so 

 liidden partially or wholly under the base of the leaf as to 

 need the breaking off of the leaf to expose them. When 

 the leaves are very numerous, as in the spruces and other 

 such evergreens, only a few of the buds develop so as to 

 be seen. 



Now all this is merely words easily read and easily com- 

 prehended. If the reader wishes really to make use of 

 this book, he must take the twigs of many kinds of shrubs 

 and search for leaves and buds. 



It will be a good plan first to take the illustrations 

 given in this book, to see in each case what is a leaf. 

 One full leaf is drawn by the side of the twig in every 

 figure. The bud in the axil can usually be seen before 

 the removal of the leaf, but more clearly where the leaf is 

 removed. The largest and most complicated leaf is shown 

 in Fig. 836 ; and the smallest, in Fig. 36. The reader 

 must not think it too simple a task; but it is one necessary 

 to master. A leaf, a whole leaf, and nothing but a leaf 

 must be known in all cases if this book is to be used. 

 When the leaf is surely known, all the other steps are easy. 

 After a close examination of the figures given and. an un- 

 derstanding of why the removed portion is a leaf, be- 

 cause it marks the joint of a stem, one should go to the 

 shrubbery and gather branches from a number of kinds of 

 bushes. 



Be sure to cut off twigs which have grown extensively 

 during the year. These new growths will have smoother 

 and generally greener bark than the old growth. Having 

 gathered a dozen or more kinds, take them to some shady 

 place where there is a chance to have a good seat and an 



