HOW ONE SEASON PRBPAEBS FOR THE NEXT 



167 



12. How the bulbs get ready for next spring. 



Some of the bulbs, too, like the Victorian crocus, are 



already in autumn almost 

 prepared to thrust up 

 their leaves and flowers. 

 Indeed, in some mild 

 autumns, a few peep above 

 the ground before winter 

 comes, as if they had made 

 a mistake in the season. 

 When a small-seeded plant, 

 like a poppy, comes up, it 

 has to work hard with 

 root and leaf before it can 

 gather strength enough to 

 make a flower ; but the 

 bulbs that got this work 

 done in the previous 

 season are ready to flower 

 at once. The bulbs have 

 money in the Savings Bank 

 and so can afford to have a 

 gay dress without waiting 

 to earn the cost. This is 

 why most of our early 

 spring flowers are bulbs. 



As autumn advances, 

 a litter of leaves gathers 

 under the English trees. 

 These fallen leaves make 

 the finest of manure. How 

 Pl(j. J 22 much richer the soil of 



Leaf-scars on twig o£ aiianthuB. Australia might be to-day 



