NATURE STUDY MADE EASY 71 



Then I began to move. I pushed out between the seed leaves, and 

 threw down a tiny rootlet ; then I pushed up into the air and light, 

 and sent up a tiny leaf. It was lovely ! I looked around at the 

 world, and worked hard to put on more green leaves. I drank in 

 the pure air and fresh water. I grew into a seedling." 

 "What fun," cried Florence; "Did you grow quickly?" 

 "Yes; so quickly that I could hardly believe it was myself. 

 When spring came again, and I was one year old, a man came one 

 day into the garden, and said, 'I believe this would be a good time 

 for budding this peach tree/ It made me feel important. Then 

 he cut a little opening in my back and pushed in a bud of a bigger 

 peach tree. It grew into a little leaf and looked as if it belonged to 

 me, and I tried my best to grow up tall and straight and hand- 



some." 



"Did all that happen in this very garden?" asked Florence. 



"Oh, no," replied the tree; "as well as I remember, I was 

 brought here later. At first, I grew in a nursery, with a number 

 of other peach trees. We all stood up in a row like a lot of sisters 

 and brothers, and grew till we were two years old. Then we were 

 dug up and separated. I was brought here and carefully placed in 

 the ground. The soft, moist earth was pressed closely round my 

 roots and I felt quite at home." 



"Did you ever have lovely pink blossoms like some peach 

 trees?" asked Florence. 



"Yes, certainly," replied the tree; "but not till I was larger 

 and stronger." 



