Junior Naturalist Monthly. 343 



Among many good letters in response to this request was the follow- 

 ing: 



Dear Uncle John: — 



In the spring I go with my father and sister to the wood to get wild flowers 

 and I know that I would miss them very much if they should disappear, especially 

 that queer little Jack-in-the-pulpit that I think so much of. The way I would 

 take care of them is to be careful and not tramp on them nor pull them up by the 

 root. I would remind other people to be careful besides myself. I am going 

 out on a trip to the wood one of these fine days and I will find out all I can about 

 them and get some beechnuts. Your loving niece, 



Edna. 



Now that spring is here, Junior Naturalists will have an oppor- 

 timity to put into practice 'some of their ideas for protecting the 

 wood flowers. If you find many of one kind growing together, there 

 is no reason why you should not gather some of them, but if there 

 are only a few, these should be left for seed. I wonder whether you 

 have ever noticed how much better a few blossoms look in a vase 

 than when there are a great many crowded together. 



The place to enjoy wild flowers is in the wood. When gathered, 

 many of them fade in a few minutes. It is much more interesting to 

 study them where they grow. 



This spring we want you to watch an outdoor plant. Lest you 

 may not be able to find it on a second visit, mark it with a stick on 

 which you have written your name. Keep a record of its growth. 



Blood root is an interesting plant to watch. Have you ever seen 

 the leaves and blossoms develop? I shall not tell you the wonderful 

 ways of this little plant, for I want you to find them out for yourself. 

 Tell Uncle John all that you learn from your observation. If you 

 do not find blood root, select some other wild plant for study. 



HOW WE CAN HELP THE BIRDS. 



It will not be long now until there are nestlings about us. We can 

 help the parent birds in rearing them. The old birds know best the 

 food and general care that the little ones need, but in many ways we 

 can protect them from enemies and other annoyances. There are 

 many thousand Junior Naturalists in New York State. If each one 

 helps a little in this work, no doubt there will be great increase in the 

 number of our song birds another year. Write to Uncle John, tell- 

 ing him one thing that you have done to make a bird house safe. 



If you are watching young birds, remember how large you are and 

 how small the birds are. You must approach the nest cautiously, 

 look very quickly, and then go away. Do not have anyone vdth 



