ME. TROMMEL TEACHES BUDDING 193 



Mr. Trommel fixed his spectacles on the boy. "You 

 are right, my lad," said he, after a moment. "I tell 

 you go to that old tree yonder and cut some twigs 

 like this" and he held up one of his bud-sticks. 



"Now," he said when these were brought, "these 

 shall be your bud-sticks. You must each take one, 

 yes ! Now try if you can cut a bud well from this 

 little branch and take out also the bit of wood inside. 

 If you can do that well, then I shall let you cut a 

 bud from one of my bud-sticks and put it in one of 

 my little trees, below the bud I shall put in. Be 

 careful that you do not cut the fingers ! " 



Both the young gardeners worked for a few mo- 

 ments in silence. 



"No, no ! " said Herr Trommel as Mary showed him 

 her production ; "it is haggled, it is dirty inside you 

 have dropped it on the ground ! When you cut your 

 hand, do you not know you must wash the sand from 

 the cut before you stick it together with plaster? 

 The apple-tree also does not like that it have a cut 

 stuck together with sand inside. Let me see your 

 knife ! " 



Mary held out a limp-bladed jack-knife for inspec- 

 tion. 



Mr. Trommel grunted disapprovingly. "No won- 



