MANUAL OF NATURE STUDY. 
43 
unknown. “The aspen, birch, fir, oak and beech 
appear to be the steps in the struggle for the sur¬ 
vival of the fittest among the forest trees of Den¬ 
mark.” See Wallace’s Darwinism, page 22. 
When the spring time comes and the 
buds begin to swell, the teacher should make a 
collection of sprays from the various kinds of trees 
studied in the preceding autumn. Attention hav¬ 
ing already been called in the second year work to 
the preparation of buds for the winter, a short 
review of that work will be a suitable introduction 
to the study of buds at bursting time. To begin, 
pass several buds of different kinds to each pupil 
and require the children to carefully remove the 
outer brown scale in each case. This may be done 
with a needle or common brass pin. 
Notice that all the buds are more or less sticky, 
but the horse chestnut is especially so; that others 
are fuzzy, hairy and scaly, and that all these dif¬ 
ferent characteristics are especially adapted for the 
protection of the delicate green parts of the bud 
within. 
Put fresh twigs of the different trees studied 
in a jar of water and watch the unfolding of the 
buds. See which unfolds first, the terminal bud or 
lateral buds. Which is the larger, the lateral or 
terminal bud of each of the several trees studied ? 
