APRIL 51 



denly spring into flower! The truth of 

 the matter is the arbutus buds have been 

 there, ready to open, for at least six months. 

 At the same time the leaves of this hardy 

 plant have remained green all winter, and 

 though they are scarred and battered they 

 are prepared to take advantage of the first 

 warm rays. The hepaticas too still bear 

 their fall leaves, and they have kept them 

 in much better condition than the arbutus. 

 But, in addition, the hepatica has a knob 

 at the base of the leaves swollen with stored 

 food. And this it draws on as soon as it 

 may. Its flowers are so tender, however, 

 that they need every precaution against 

 the cold, so each night they wrap themselves 

 tight in their furry coats, opening them 

 again when the new day brings new hope of 

 insect visitors. 



But the bloodroot is the most dashing 

 worker of them all. Last year it stored its 

 building material in a long, fleshy, under- 

 ground stem. And from this it brings the 

 red sap in the spring to build up flower and 

 leaf together. Hardly, however, have they 



