PLANTING SWEET PEAS 51 



I 



tell you, little one, plants are much alike, but often 

 they are different." 



The under-gardener looked a trifle perplexed. 

 "Gardening takes quite a little experience," she 

 sighed, as she covered the seeds carefully and left 

 an embankment of earth beside the trench. "Now 

 we water them just like we do the other things, 

 don't we?" 



"We have to water them well ; they are thirsty, 

 these little fellows." 



"How long will it be before they come up?" 



"I think they will make haste for us ; they are 

 late this year, you know, and they have some time to 

 make up. Sometimes I have put them in the ground 

 three weeks earlier, but this year the old Mother 

 Earth slept late, and did not unlock her house at the 

 right time, so the plants could not come out. My 

 dear magnolia blossoms have not yet dared to thrust 

 their noses out of the little fur hoods. You will see 

 soon how all the shrubs must hurry." 



"Is n't there anything else we can plant?" asked 

 Mary, raking the bed by the fence. 



Herr Trommel meditated a moment. "We might 

 put in the poppies," he said doubtfully ; "they do 

 not mind the cold. Have you the seeds here ? " 



