PLANTING TREES . 243 



and manure. That keeps it warm, also it enriches 

 the ground ; also it keeps the frost from heaving it." 



"How does the frost heave it?" asked Mary. 



"Ach!" said Herr Trommel, impatiently, "I can- 

 not answer everything. And if I knew everything 

 I should be in the Himmel or a professor at Got- 

 tingen, not teaching two children how to plant a 

 tree ! When it becomes cold, the Mother Earth goes 

 to sleep ; and when it becomes warmer, she stretches 

 herself." 



"Oh, I understand," said the president of the Hor- 

 ticultural, quickly ; "she is restless and rolls over in 

 her sleep and throws the clothes off. I do that some- 

 times." 



"Yes, yes j that is it. It is when the days grow 

 warm that she grows more restless ; she begins to 

 wake." 



"Of course," said Mary ; "it is when you are too 

 hot that you throw the clothes off. Perhaps when 

 the ground is frozen stiff the earth feels as if she had 

 on very tight corsets and could n't take a good breath." 



"Perhaps," admitted Mr. Trommel. "And if we 

 have it wet in the autumn, then the soil is packed 

 down well about the roots, and they are not hurt 

 when when the Mother Earth takes off her corsets ; 



