The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-02-18
THE TALK OF THE HORSE
CHESTNUTS

"Good morning, sister; good morning.
said fine chestnut tree to her neighbor
one rather dull September morning.
''Do you think the sun is going TO shine
much to.day?"
81 am sure hope it is" answered the
sister; "for my leaves have been dropping
and feeling low spirited, and say they
cannot do their work we'll for want of
more sunshine, and I know that my food
has not been well prepared. I fancied
the sap they sent down the stem rather
tasted Of oxygen. and that I object to,
don't you? I wonder those queer crea-
lures, those boys and girls who so often
play under our branches, like oxygen SO
we'll; I have heard it said they cannot
live without it. 1 am sure they are quite
welcome to all our leaves set free for
them. As I said before, sister, those
boys and girls are queer creatures.
wonder, now, as they pass under our
branches, if they ever think we are work
ing as hard as they, though we don't
make quite so much noise about it, Abb
if we we're not now working very hard
there would be no leaves on the trees
next year, and then they would be sur
prised. Spring here, and no leavesl
What is the matter? Do they know that
our nice little leaf buds are already form
ed, and we are now busy trying to wrap up
our wee, wee, baby buds, OIL so costly,
our precious treasures, for next year?
Don't you think, dear sister, We had bet
ter cover them as usual, with the silky,
downy guilt first; and then the winter
leaves, overlapping all, just like the tiles
on the roof Of that cottage opposite, will
make a nice little cradle, especially if
we put kind of sticky glue all round the
cradle to keep out the rain and the snow.
Yes! they will then be safe and warm;
they will rock all through the winter I'M
til the sun shines warm again next April,
and then-yee, and then-But Tn talking
instead of working; I must be quick to
do my work, and am growing SO sleepy.
1 almost wish we lived with our cousins,
the chstnuts, in Spain; we should not
then need to wrap up our buds SO much,
they have so little cold to fear"
Now all you boys and girls who walk
under the chestnut trees without MOTTO
ing what they have to say, 60 listen to
their chatter. Look for the chestnut
| tree-if you live in the country, in the
lanes; if in the town, in some Of the
parks.
The horse chestnut may easily be
known, even in the depth of winter, by
its usually large buds, set on the extrem-
tiles of the branches, and in the axis of
the branches.
A German naturalist in the winter sea-
son gathered one of these buds, not much
larger than pea. The outer covering
was composed of seventeen scales, win
ter leaves, cemented together by gum
my substance, protecting from moisture
the silky down. Removing both scales
and down, he discovered four leaves sur
rounding a spike of flowers, in which
spike he could distinctly see sixty EIGHT
little horets.
When next you take walk, will you
notice the horse chestnut? Take little
branch in your hand, and look below the
little buds, you will see what looks like
the footprints OF horse. These marks
are left by the falling leaves, and the five
or seven little dots, looking SO much like
nails, are caused by the broken mid-ribs
of the leaflets. 1t is from this appear
ance that the tree receives its name of
"horse chestnut. - Young Days.