Teachers' Leaflet. 



60 1 



The crocus has a solid little conn, which looks when cut into like the meat 

 of a nut, and sends out upon its surface many little, white shoots or buds. 

 These buds appear on the corms early in the fall and help one to tell which is 

 the "top side" when planting. New corms are formed above the old one so that 

 crocuses " throw themselves out " unless taken up and replanted every second 

 year. Besides the main corm there are usually many little ones, some no larger 

 than shot, which gardeners call " spawn." These take several years to grow to 

 blooming age. Crocuses may be planted from the first of October until the 

 ground freezes in borders or scattered on a lawn. It may be done without dis- 

 turbing the grass by punching a hole with a stick or dibble, dropping in a corm 

 and pressing back the soil. The plant matures before the grass needs to be 

 mowed. 



THE HEMLOCK. 



PreUminary tvork. — This common and most beautiful evergreen is of special 

 interest for a winter lesson. It offers many contrasts to the pine, and may well 

 follow the lesson suggested in the previous leaflet. If there are young hemlocks 

 in the vicinity whose branches droop nearly to the ground, this evergreen tent 

 will be found a harbor during the winter for mice, rabbits and other beasties, 

 which seek it for shelter. The interest of the pupils may be aroused in the hem- 

 lock because it shelters so many of the birds and animals, or because it gives 

 food to the squirrels and birds, or because it is a beautiful tree, which keeps its 

 leaves all winter. The lesson should not be given unless the pupils have had 

 opportunity to observe the tree. 



,j#.iM^^<l|m^ 



A spray of hemlock zviih cones. 



LESSON LIX. 

 the hemlock branches and leaves. 

 Purpose. — To lead the pupils to observe closely the leaves and their 

 arrangement on the twigs. 

 Observations. — 



1. How are the leaves arranged on the twigs? 



2. Are they in one plane? 



3. Are all the leaves about the same size? 



4. What is the position of the smaller leaves? 



