the recitation, the papers can be read and the points mentioned
thoroughly discussed. This will take two lesson-hours, probably, and the
drawing may be left, if desired, as the exercise to prepare for the second
recitation.

[1]The buds of Horsechestnut contain the plan of the whole growth of the
next season. They are scaly and covered, especially towards the apex, with
a sticky varnish. The scales are opposite, like the leaves. The outer
pairs are wholly brown and leathery, the succeeding ones tipped with
brown, wherever exposed, so that the whole bud is covered with a thick
coat. The inner scales are green and delicate, and somewhat woolly,
especially along the lapping edges. There are about seven pairs of
scales. The larger terminal buds have a flower-cluster in the centre, and
generally two pairs of leaves; the small buds contain leaves alone, two or
three pairs of them. The leaves are densely covered with white wool, to
protect them from the sudden changes of winter. The use of the gum is to
ward off moisture. The flower-cluster is woolly also.

[Footnote 1: All descriptions are made from specimens examined by me.
Other specimens may differ in some points. Plants vary in different
situations and localities.]

The scars on the stem are of three kinds, leaf, bud-scale, and
flower-cluster scars. The pupils should notice that the buds are always
just above the large triangular scars. If they are still in doubt as to
the cause of these marks, show them some house-plant with well-developed
buds in the axils of the leaves, and ask them to compare the position of
these buds with their branches. The buds that spring from the inner angle
of the leaf with the stem are _axillary_ buds; those that crown the stems
are _terminal_. Since a bud is an undeveloped branch, terminal buds carry,
on the axis which they crown, axillary buds give rise to side-shoots. The
leaf-scars show the leaf-arrangement and the number of leaves each year.
The leaves are opposite and each pair stands over the intervals of the
pair below. The same is observed to be true of the scales and leaves
of the bud.[1] All these points should be brought out by the actual
observation of the specimens by the pupils, with only such hints from the
teacher as may be needed to direct their attention aright. The dots on the
leaf-scar are the ends of woody bundles (fibro-vascular bundles) which, in
autumn, separated from the leaf. By counting these we can tell how many