34 MARY'S GARDEN AND HOW IT GREW 



"I will be very careful," assured the under-gar- 

 dener. "Will it be a real hedge, that I can trim 

 myself? " 



"Yes, yes, if the lady mama will lend you her 



scissors." 



"I have scissors of my own," said Mary, with 

 dignity. 



Mr. Trommel left the greenhouse for a mo- 

 ment, and then came back with a bundle of 

 privet branches in his hand about a yard 

 long. "I cut them this morning to start a little 

 hedge for myself, but you shall have some ; old 

 Trommel can wait," he said, as he cut the string 

 of the bundle and picked up one of the branches. 

 "Now look carefully," and he cut about an 

 inch off the thicker end of the branch, "just 

 below the 'eye.' See? That is the end that 

 goes in the ground. Now," and he made another 

 quick, clean cut, leaving in his left hand a bit 

 of the privet branch three inches long, "just 

 above the ' eye 'that is, the top. Some people, 

 just because privet will grow, whatever you do to it, 

 they take the shears and chop, chop, cut off square, as 

 if they would make fodder for cattle 5 but the good 

 gardener takes the knife and makes the slanting cut 



