The next time Willie and his father were out together, the conversation again fell upon trees. The wonder of the boy had been strongly excited by the last lesson, and he had now lots of questions to ask. He knew enough to know that there must be a great deal more to learn. He had been told that trees fed the same as animals, and he felt sure that inside there must be some entrances for the food to reach parts needing supply. Then he sought to understand how the growing process was managed, and especially how seeds were formed, and how the plant sprang from them. Thus, question after question poured out from the boy’s lips, without even a pause for a reply.
“Stop, stop, my man,” said his father; “I am not like the Hindoo god with half-a-dozen pairs of ears, and half-a-dozen tongues. We will go now a little deeper into the subject; but we must take one thing at a time. What do you think of that gum tree yonder?
That is a noble fellow. What a barrel he has got for splitting paling out of! And hasn’t he got a fine top knot? Why, that must be almost as big as that Tasmanian tree you read about.
Oh, no; that one was 350 feet high, and was 104 feet round; while this is not above 100 feet high, and 30 round.
Well, then, that must be a monster surely. How curious to think it was once a tiny little thing that I could pull up with my finger! I say, father, how many cartloads of carbon this one must have got hold of! I fancy it has got gas enough to fill many a balloon. But how did it grow?
To answer that question, will give us some trouble, and take some time. First, tell me all the parts of the tree.
What I cannot see is the root; then comes the stem, then the branches, and then the leaves.
You forget the flower.
Flower! whoever heard tell of a gum flower? How funny the word sounds!