200 MARY'S GARDEN AND HOW IT GREW 



ing among the roots for the plants and then pulling 

 them apart. 



"The family are very fond of each other," re- 

 marked Mary. 



"Urn ! But it is not all affection ; the roots are all 

 trying to get something to eat for themselves. I have 

 them apart now one, two, three, five roots. Now 

 we shall have five plants where we had one. This 

 way the garden grows itself every year, and then you 

 have plants to give away. 



"Now we divide the larkspur the Delphinium." 



"Why do you call larkspur Delphinium ? " asked 

 Mary. 



"Why do we call it Delphinium f " repeated Herr 

 Trommel. "Oh, because some man thought the little 

 nectary of the flower, the little place where it keeps 

 the sweet, looked like a dolphin." 



"That is n't a very good reason," objected Mary. 

 "It does n't look a bit like a fish. Why don't they 

 call it something that would let you know it is such 

 a lovely blue ? " 



"That I cannot tell, lAebchen. Flowers have suf- 

 fered much at the hands of botanists. Delphinium 

 is not a bad-sounding name. The pretty larkspur 

 has not much to complain of. But I think that lovely 



