SOME EARLY FLOWERS 



terflies are more dainty, and come more frequently ; but it 

 is well that the flowers can pollinate themselves. 



The rest of the cluster lily plant, also, is interesting. 

 You remember how the first leaf broke through the soil 

 after the first heavy rain ; if you kept on watching the 

 lilies, you know that the leaves grew rapidly, standing 

 straight up to get the full sunlight ; by digging now, you 

 can find how much food they have sent down to be stored 

 for next year's plants ; they have made a new bulb on top 

 of the old one, and perhaps have had food enough to send 

 out a little colony of side bulbs. By this time, the work of 

 the leaves is nearly over, and they are dying back, for they 

 have no devices for meeting dry weather. 



But the early flowers we love best of all, are the violets 

 and shooting stars. They, too, have underground store- 

 houses, and this is fortunate for the children of the future, 

 because we of to-day pick so many early wild flowers that 

 we give them little chance to mature seeds. The violet, or 

 yellow pansy, as it is often called, is, like the cluster lily, 

 an exclusive flower. It keeps its honey, in a cup, or spur, 

 at the base of the flower, and the yellow petals have many 

 purple lines pointing the way to it honey guides, they are 

 called. The petals are not all alike ; the lower one is 

 broad, forming a platform for the guest to stand upon when 

 he comes for honey. The violet, too, invites only guests 

 with slender tongues. You can see the little green stigma 

 close against the lower petal, just where it must be struck 

 by a tongue in search of honey. To find out about the 

 pollen, you must tear away the petals ; the stamens have 

 no filaments, and the anthers are close together, forming a 

 little box about the ovary. The tops of the anthers and 

 the petals quite enclose this box and protect the pollen 

 well. 



You may have to watch a long time out of doors to 

 see the violet visited. Really, her honey is so difficult to 



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