THE WORK OF FLOWERS 129 



Bulbs look very dead when taken out of the ground, 

 and placed upon a shelf, or put back into the earth. 

 Either way they have to wait, silently and patiently. 

 To wait for what ? Why for the coming of the Sun 

 in his power, that he may call them to a new life. 



Meanwhile, though buried, they still live. They are 

 being made ready for the presence of the Sun. They are 

 growing, under ground, their new and glorious spring 

 garments. W'hen spring is here, they will be ready to 

 respond ; ready to say to the Sun : " Yes, here I am 

 waiting ! " ready to send forth new roots, new stems, 

 new leaves, new flowers. 



This work of preparation, which goes on under ground 

 or above ground, with seeds and bulbs and branches, 

 takes time. Certain alterations, certain developments, 

 inside the seed or bulb or branch, have to come about 

 before the new growth can begin to show itself. 



It was at one time thought that bulbs and seeds 

 might start growing much earlier than they do, if only 

 they were in the right soil, and had the right amount of 

 warmth and moisture. It was supposed that they 

 waited for the spring, only because of the checking cold 

 of winter. 



But this, with the greater number, was found to be 

 a mistake. The experiment was tried; and they did 

 not respond. They would not begin growing until the 

 spring. 



Much the same was noted with potatoes. Some 

 potato-tubers were dug up in the autumn, and were put 

 in a warm sheltered cellar, where the air remained 

 always at about the same degree of warmth. For many 



