GARDENING BY M YSELF. 2 1 9 



one side in its eagerness to find the sun ; 

 not rising proudly up from its encircling 

 leaves, but creeping out between them to- 

 wards the window. Keep watch, therefore, 

 and straighten your plants (of all sorts) 

 every day if need be, by turning them 

 round. The mere flower stem, of course, 

 you could tie up ; but the bells would still 

 have their own way. And besides, things 

 never look so pretty tied, if they will stand 

 up without it. 



Sometimes the leaves seem to get ahead 

 of the flowers, and they grow tall and 

 strong, while the little head of blossoms 

 peeps timidly out from the very bottom of 

 the cluster, but ventures no more. If you 

 see this weakness of disposition in any of 

 your hyacinths, then treat them thus : Twist 

 up a small cone of rather thick paper, leav- 

 ing a little hole at the small end, and set it 

 down close over the blossom shoot, within 

 the leaves. Thrown thus into sudden twi- 

 light, with a single spot of brilliant light 

 above its head, the spike will generally soon 



