MANUAL OF NATURE STUDY. 
45 
arrangement of buds or leaves on the branch. For 
this purpose collect very carefully young shoots of 
normal growth of the several trees studied.' Dis¬ 
tribute them to the pupils, giving to each as many 
specimens as kinds of trees. Begin with linden 
and require each pupil to hold in an erect position, 
a branch of that kind of tree. Place one hand 
upon the lowest bud or leaf. Where is the first 
leaf above that one as related to the lowest? 
Where the second ? The third ? The fourth, and 
so on? Which leaves or buds are vertically above 
the lowest ? Start with any other leaf and see if 
the same result is true. Try the elm and com¬ 
pare it with the linden as to arrangement. Take 
the birch, beech, walnut, apple, pear, peach, and 
note in each case the number of times it will be 
necessary to follow the spiral of buds or leaves 
around the stem before reaching the leaf vertically 
above the first. Now take the maple and box elder 
and have the pupils state the difference in leaf ar¬ 
rangement between them and the* other trees. 
This will lead to the terms opposite and alternate 
as applied to the position of leaves upon the stalk. 
The buds of all maples and box elders are oppo¬ 
site, while those of most other trees are alternate. 
At another time collect some gasses or garden 
plants of any kind and study their leaf arrange¬ 
ment in same way. 
