xxi LETTERS TO MARCO 137 



getting pushed up out of the ground, be- 

 coming often thus the prey of mice or birds. 

 This mischief is done mostly by the frost, 

 which raises the ground with the crocus 

 clumps altogether, then when the thaw and 

 rain come the soil gets washed down leaving 

 the crocuses propped up by their roots, which 

 lengthen even during the frost. Thus in 

 old established clumps (which are always the 

 finest in effect) many weakly bulbs get 

 crowded out on to the surface. The loss is, 

 however, amply made up for by the numbers 

 of young seedlings which spring up around 

 the parent clump. 



I hear that the professor does not like 

 gathering flowers, or to have them, when 

 gathered, in the house, except for special study 

 purposes ; and though I cannot altogether 

 agree with him as to this, I think, certainly, 

 the way to enjoy flowers best is to see them 

 growing ; no crocuses picked can compare in 

 beauty and interest to a fine old clump in the 

 ground. But still, on the other hand, in this 



