THE “SHOWN TO THE CHILDREN” SERIES EDITED BY LOUEY CHISHOLM TREES The “Shown to the Children” Series 1. BEASTS With 48 Coloured Plates by PERCY J. BILLINGHURST. Letterpress by LENA DALKEITH. 2. FLOWERS With 48 Coloured Plates showing 150 flowers, by JANET HARVEY KELMAN. Letterpress by C. E. SMITH. 3. BIRDS With 48 Coloured Plates by M. K. C. SCOTT. Letterpress by J. A. HENDERSON. 4. THE SEA-SHORE With 48 Coloured Plates by JANET HARVEY KELMAN. Letterpress by REV. THEODORE WOOD. 5. THE FARM With 48 Coloured Plates by F. M. B. and A. H. BLAIKIE. Letterpress by FOSTER MEADOW. 6. TREES With 32 Coloured Plates by JANET HARVEY KELMAN. Letterpress by C. E. SMITH. 7. NESTS AND EGGS With 48 Coloured Plates by A. H. BLAIKIE. Letterpress by J. A. HENDERSON. 8. BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS With 48 Coloured Plates by JANET HARVEY KELMAN. Letterpress by Rev. THEODORE WOOD. 9. STARS By ELLISON HAWKS. 10. GARDENS With 32 Coloured Plates by J. H. KELMAN. Letterpress by J. A. HENDERSON. 11. BEES By ELLISON HAWKS. Illustrated in Colour and Black and White. 12. ARCHITECTURE By GLADYS WYNNE. Profusely Illustrated. 13. THE EARTH By ELLISON HAWKS. Profusely Illustrated. 14. THE NAVY By PERCIVAL A. HISLAM. 48 Two-colour Plates. 15. THE ARMY By A. H. ATTERIDGE. 16 Colour and 32 Black Plates. [Illustration: PLATE I THE OAK 1. Oak Tree 2. Leaf Spray 3. Spray with Flower Catkins 4. Stamen Catkin 5. Seed Catkin 6. Fruit] TREES SHOWN TO THE CHILDREN BY JANET HARVEY KELMAN DESCRIBED BY C. E. SMITH [Illustration] THIRTY-TWO COLOURED PICTURES LONDON: T. C. & E. C. JACK, Ltd. 35 PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C. AND EDINBURGH To THOMAS FORBES SACKVILLE WILSON Dear children,--In this little book I have written about some of the trees which you are likely to find growing wild in this country, and Miss Kelman has painted for you pictures of these trees, with drawings of the leaves and flowers and fruit, so that it will be easy for you to tell the name of each tree. But I think there is one question which you are sure to ask after reading this small book, and that is, “How do the trees grow?” The tree grows very much as we do, by taking food and by breathing. The food of the tree is obtained from two sources: from the earth and from the air. Deep down in the earth lie the tree roots, and these roots suck up water from the soil in which they are embedded. This water, in which there is much nourishment, rises through many tiny cells in the woody stem till it reaches the leaf, twigs, and green leaves. As it rises the growing cells keep what they need of the water. The rest is given off as vapour by the leaves through many tiny pores, which you will not be able to see without a microscope.