MANUAL, OF NATURE STUDY. 
49 
The sycamore , or button wood , is known by its 
large leaf, heart-shaped at base, which contains 
an inverted cup in bottom of leaf-stalk, which covers 
the newly-forming bud. Its whitish, green bark 
separates into thin plates, which soon fall away. 
This tree bears balls which contain seeds. 
For further discussion of trees, see Apgar’s 
Trees, Gray’s Botany, or Howe’s Science Teaching. 
4. Study Growth of Vegetables .— a . Radish. 
b. Onion, c . Lettuce. 
Suggestions : Plant a few seeds of each of these 
plants to be observed during growth. They may 
be planted in a common soap-box, or, if it be de¬ 
sired to have each kind separate, cigar boxes may 
be used, though a deeper box would be better for 
the radish. These should be planted in February, 
if the school-room is safe against frost, so that the 
children will be able to get as much of the life his¬ 
tory as possible before school closes in June. 
During the first year of this course, the children 
studied the forms and colors of leaves, observed 
their preparation for winter, their budding forth 
again in the spring. They also learned to dis¬ 
tinguish the parts of a plant, as root, stem, leaf, 
flower. 
In the second year, they studied the forms of 
leaves, and learned to associate them with the 
plants or trees on which they grew. 
