220 MAKY'S GARDEN AND HOW IT GKEW 



people put the snowdrop in a cold frame, but that is 

 a wicked thing. The little lady comes up as soon as 

 it is possible, and it is not pleasant for her to wake 

 up and find herself in a box with lettuce seeds and 

 other vegetables, perhaps." 



"Shall we put the crocuses in the grass, too ? " ques- 

 tioned the assistant. "Yours are in the grass." 



"I think the little patches of crocus look pretty 

 coming up in the grass. Besides, you have also the 

 purple crocus ; that is far happier in the grass. 

 When the little crocus comes up through the ground 

 there is nothing else in blossom. It has just the 

 brown earth, and that does not look pretty with the 

 pale purple cups " 



"A is n't becoming to it?" suggested Mary. 



"Yes, yes, that is it." 



"Won't it do any harm when we run the lawn- 

 mower over ? " 



"No, no; the leaves will have withered then. 

 These spring babies stay but a little while." 



"And we plant these just the way we planted the 

 snowdrops ? " 



"Just the same. The flowers might be larger if 

 we put in more fertilizer they like the leaf- mold ; 

 but the ground is good : it is not necessary. Size is 



