You may call the holly either a large shrub or a small tree. The leaves of most trees fall off when winter comes, but the holly is green all the year round. It is called an ever-green tree; for as long as one old brown leaf drops off, a fresh green one grows in its place.,
Can you guess what is the use of these prickles or spines to the holly tree? They keep cows and other animals from biting off the leaves.,
读书笔记
是否公开
5
-
看看冬青树顶上的叶子。牛、马够不到冬青树的顶上,瞧,这儿的叶子就很光滑,没有刺了。,
读书笔记
是否公开
5
-
Look at the holly leaves at the top of the tree, where the cows cannot reach, and you will see that these leaves are quite smooth, and have no spines.,
If you put some of the bark of the holly tree into an old sauce-pan with a little water, and stew it slowly on the fire, you will get a sticky white stuff.,
This sticky stuff is called bird-lime, for men spread it on leaves and twigs to catch birds. If a bird rests on one of these twigs or leaves, the bird-lime sticks to its feet, and then it cannot fly away.,
Look at the holly in summer, and you will see that it has small white flowers. When these drop off, the fruit comes in their place. The fruit of the holly tree is the pretty scarlet berry, which you can see on the branches in winter.,
Be sure you find some nice holly, with plenty of scarlet berries, for next Christmas. Hang up the branches all round your rooms, and stick a small piece in your plum-pudding.,