one. It is a leaf of the lime tree at the bottom of the garden. Look, Norah, there are two parts to the leaf. This thin flat broad part is the blade. The long stalk which connects it to the branch is the footstalk. Look at all the leaves you have in your lap. Tell us which is the blade, and which is the footstalk of each.""Now look again," said Willie. "One side of the leaf is smoother than the other. The smooth sidealways points upwards to the sky. The underside is the rough one.""Let me point out something else," said Fred. "Look at the under side of the leaf. You will see some thick stout lines crossing the blade. They start from the stalk, and run to the edge of the blade. We call these the ribs. They are to support the blade, and keep it stretched out to the light and air.""But," said Norah, "I can see a great many other lines all over the blade. They are not so thick and strong, but they run allover it, and cross each other like a network. Are these ribs too, Fred?""No," said Fred, "we cal l them the veins of the leaves. Nearly all theleaves you have in your lap have veins, which cross each other and form a network. Teacher tells us to call them net-vein leaves.
