Garden Nature-Study 



Lessons for Week of March 21-25, 1921. 

 The Spring Awakening 



How Plant Storehouses Prepare for Early Spring Flowers and More of Them. 



Materials Needed — Bulb plants in different stages of develop- 

 ment, including some "spent" bulbs (bulbs done blooming) of 

 tulip, narcissus, etc. washed free of soil; 



A few dry bulbs of the same that have not been forced; 



An onion and if possible, crocus or gladiolus bulbs and an 

 Easter lily and a cyclamen done blooming; 



A small cabbage head, a potato, a beet or a carrot with roots in 

 a jar of water; 



Underground storehouses of any early spring flowers, such 

 as bloodroot or trillium or violet (rootstocks) , adder's tongue or 

 Jack-in-the-pulpit (corms) ; 



Twigs of lilac, cottonwood poplar, willow or others with large 

 buds (set in bottles of water) ; 



Iodine solution (tincture of iodine, diluted with water, 1 to 10). 



For Grades i to 4. 

 Questions for Thought (Early Blooming — Advantages; How 

 Made Possible) : 



When do plants that grow from bulbs or other thick under- 

 ground parts bloom? 



Answer: Often in winter indoors; or very early in the spring — 

 outdoors. 



How are such plants helped and how do they help the bees, 

 etc. by blooming so early? 



Answer: They can secure help from the bees, etc. before the 

 latter get busy with too many other flowers and before too many 

 leaves of other plants and trees are out to shade them and conceal 

 them from the insects. 



In return they provide the insects with the food needed by the 

 latter after their long winter sleep. 



What food? 



Answer: Nectar and pollen. 



How do the insects help these early flowering plants? 



Why can they bloom so early? 



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