SCHOOL IN THE OPEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17345, 27 September 1924, Page 8

SCHOOL IN THE OPEN.

STUDIES IN THE GREAT OUT-OF-DOORS.

(By

J.J.S. Cornes, 8.A.. B.Sc.)

The “ Star ” has arranged with Mr .T. .1. S. Gornes, 8.A., B.Sc., to write a series of illustrated articles which will give teachers and others a fuller appreciation of the Great Out-of-doors. They will deal with various aspects of plant and animal life, as well as with inanimate nature. Questions and material for identification will he welcomed.

OPENING BUDS. (XXIX.) “ Earth is crammed with Heaven, And every bush afire with God, But only he who sees Buts off his shoes.” —Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Comparable in many way to the germination of seeds is the unpacking of buds, which is equally characteristic of the spring. Like the seeds. the buds were made from the abundance of a past summer, from the superabundance of vegetative life. Like the seeds, the buds are suited to contain much within small compass; and they are protected by scales which correspond to seed-husks. lake the seeds, the buds have a period of quiescence after the period of formation, tor many of them remain nine months or so in a dormant state. And just as a seed contains and protects a baby plant, so a bud cradles a baby branch. The unpacking of buds is due to spring sunshine and spring rain. Under the influence of increasing warmth the sap rises, that is, water from the soil ascends to the sleeping buds and recalls their cells to activity. These swell; they multiply; growth takes place. Pressure from within hursts the scales outside, scales which in dying away have saved the tender life within. And now the bare trees are clothing themselves in beauty- -the horse-chest-nuts and the sycamores in Kolleston Avenue, the planes about Latimer Square, the willows on the Avon s banks, the silver birches in our streets and hedges. They, and the springing grass in the park, all voice the same claim, that it is the green leaves which are Najture’s dress ; the flowers are but her jewels scattered here a nr] there. lx’t us look first at the opening bud of sycamore. This green bud is almost, a si large as horse-chestnut's sticky brown one, and somewhat simpler. As the lowest, outermost scales loosen, the inner scales lengthen beyond them, keeping pace with, and still protecting, the growing branch within. These

OPENING BUDS OF SYCAMORE.

inner scales are red-tinted. They arc arranged in pairs, on opposite tides of the stem, each pair at right angles to the pail* further in, and Riling up the gap between them, iorming a. perfect thateh. Inside the scales come ihe leaves; first, two leaves, placed face to face, each pleated along the side-veins, then folded along the radiating main veins and closed up like a fan. Within are two more, laid together and forming a cross with the others. Further in, on a shoot of indefinite length, may be more pairs of leaves, protected each by the larger pair outside; buo in many of the bigge r. terminal, buds you find a grape-like bunch ol immamosi flowers do, the direct onward growth of the branch. And so ijie

THE OPENED BED OF SYCAMORE.

unfolding buds glow with red of inner scales and light green of leaf, and >no tree will have no colour left to tint its opening yellow-green drooping flowers, but plenty of fragrance and sweetness, to draw the bees. On the stiff, upturned tips of horse-

OPENING BED OF HORSECHESTNUT.

scales. F\ grape-like flower cluster. L. leaflets folded with midribs outward. chestnuts’ branches stand the sticky, brown buds. Their waterproof coats glisten like dark varnish. The waterproofing line liquefied and loosened; tho inner scales have grown out, and show light green wherever they were previously covered. And from the top of these separating green coats projects a green mass, covered with wool, and showing lines or ribs, like chords, meeting below. As this lengthens, slowly, very slowly, “ The grey hoss-chestnut’s leetle hands unfold. SofterTi a baby’s be at three days old.” It is these gloved hands, wrapped In cotton wool, whose development is of such interest to children, if they are allowed to find out for themselves what they will become. As the woolly ball lengthens, the outermost two hands push up and separate, the fingers spread apart and unfold, each showing that it is a leaflet- (for the horse-chestnut leaf is cut right to the centre, its radiating main veins becoming mid-ribs of leaflets). Kach leaflet in tho bud is crimped (plaited) along its side veins, then folded (doubled) along its mid-rib, with the two halves face to face. Then all the leaflets are drawn together like a fan, so that their strong ribs are outside, and their thin, tender edges toward the centre. The woolly hair on the outride of the ribs is often tinted brown. Its purpose, like that of the varnish, is to keep i.n warmtli and moisture. \\ ithin this outer pair of hands are two smaller hands, placed between the edges of the other two; inside may be another pair, folded over a growingpoint. but in thick, fat buds there is instead a green mass somewhat like a very small bunch of grapes. This is of flower-buds, which have only to open for the sun to paint them.

OPENED nr*DS OF HORSECHKSTNUT.

Hut now the hands have changed | into loaves, their, lingers into five or seven leal lets, still crimped. Just at first these hold themselves stiffly out, hut now they hang down like half-clos-ed parasols; they are pale from being shut up so long; they do not blush, as do so many others, at the first glance of their sun-lover; their pale green now is as distinctive as their dark tint in summer. Ihe new shoots grow with wonderful rapidity the successive pairs of hands or leaves arc separated by the lengthening of the internodes of the green stem ; then growth ceases, the shoot gets busy with flowers, and fruits, and next year's buds in the axils of the new leaves. Soon, therefore, the green flower buds will grow pinkish and burst : the tree will be a. huge chandelier with burning lamps lighted for spring’s great festival ; stiffly and steadily it will hold each tall spire. The loaves of the plane are of about the same size and shape as those of sycamore, yet in spring at least no one could mistake a young plane leaf for that of a sycamore. Tt seems cut out of velvet, with a soft. close pile on both sides, pale gold above, white below.

OPENED BUDS OF PLANE

This is the soft delicate beauty of the town princess, while the young sycamore leaves are the rosy-cheeked children of the country. From some buds come leaves and Hall-like catkins of male pollen-bearing flowers; from other buds come leaves and domes of female flowers which by autumn w ill ?>e balls, studded with seeds embedded in a daily down on winch they float away. Already the Birch tree in hedge or avenue is beginning to look like a green fountain at play • the lady of the woods ” shakes out her tresses, covers her face, and bows down her head. This tree, having two kinds of flowers to make, gets one kind ready in advance. in the preceding autumn, that it may not be quite so busy in ftpring. Throughout winter these male catkins swung stiffly on the ends of the twigs, like two tiny cucumbers making a V ; but they are now loosely-shaking strings, bearing broad scales that hold bouquets of stamens. This sturdy, erect little tail near by, however, with leaves about its base, has only just now appeared from the same bud as the small, delicate leaves. Above each scale on this dark green tail a wee tassel of six red styles peeps out. waiting to catch pollen dust from the stamens of branches waving above—and in summer each three-lobed scales will hold at its base three winged mutlets, with two withered styles on the top of each. How' slender these birch twigs are. compared with the other trees ! Thick stems and large leaves,

slender stems and small leaves—that is the. rule of the trees.

OPENED BUDS OF SILVER BIRCH.

In school study, it is well to have the burls develop in the schoolroom ; so that children can watch the whole process. not merely its beginning and end. Trim off the lower end of the twig with a sharp knife and immerse in water; change the water daily. Such buds will often unfold earlier than those outside. Thus the child, who lias seen root, stem, and leaf start from the seed, now sees the branch developing from the hud. He discovers how much has been done for the plant—protection through winter, provision made for spring awakening. It ap|»eals to him. because it is so like his ow n experience, his shielded life. But here is something which calls his thoughts to reach out from the present into the future. The protecting budscales separate. the. warm woolly covering disappears; the delicate lea ves unfold, grow stronger, spread to sun and sky and rain, pushing out bravely from the protection of their older fellows. Pulsating and throbbing through th© plant, from every root and stem, from every branch and leaf, comes the message: “'We have a work to do.” (To be continued on "Wednesday next.)