24 FAMILIAK LESSONS IN BOTANY. 



cause it is one of the largest and best-developed scale-buds 

 found in our forests), and yon will find a tiny bundle of 

 soft, moist, colorless leaves, folded so compactly together 

 that the most delicate instrument cannot lift one fold 

 without wounding the other. Over this is a roll or envelope 

 of thick substances, around these a tunic of felt-lined 

 leaves, over this still another set of leaves covered with a 

 delicate varnish, and finally scales complete the external 

 wrappings. Now the Empress of all the Eussias never 

 laid her babe into a more carefully prepared cradle, for 

 Mother Nature is determined that neither rain nor dew 

 nor chillino^ blasts shall disturb the winter slumber of her 

 little ones. 



53. When spring comes with its sunshine, balmy breezes, 

 and soft showers, it sets the sap, the blood of tlie vegetable 

 world, coursing through a million veins. These buds, 

 warmed by the sunshine and fed by the sap, awake, and 

 burst one dry scale after another, till soon little eyes are 

 peeping forth from every node to bid the spring good-day. 

 The sap still rises and goes rushing through the boughs, 

 the buds push on and out, and soon young branches are 

 stretching their limbs to the air, while the leaves are 

 clapping their hands to the merry breezes that are singing 

 along. Thus you see these buds are the rudiments of 

 future branches and flowers. 



54. Various theories have been offered as to their origin, 

 and I don't believe that the now generally accepted theory 

 of their being an outgrowth of the medullary process is 

 any nearer the truth than many hypotheses long since dis- 

 carded. The microscope reveals the fact that the sap takes 

 up molecules of regular form, but whose tenuity and 

 transparency have heretofore baffled the investigation of 

 the most powerful lens. I believe them to be germs which, 



53. Repeat the changed wrought by the coming of spring. Buds are rudiments 

 of what ? 

 54* Is their origin satisfactorily explained? What theory is here suggested? 



