The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-04-30
NOV no HASTEN SPRING.
She's Capricious, Like Most of Her Sex, but
May he Coaxcd by Kindness.

Slowly. with difidence and caprice,
comes on the spring in the suburbs OF
New York. The changes in vegetation
from week to week are Of the subtle sort
that reveal themselves only to the eye
of him that mingles love with observa-
ton. 1t sometimes happens that partic-
ular woodland flower or shrub seems to
have made no progress after having been
watched Tor a full week. Buds that be-
gan TO swell three weeks ago have added
little to their diameter. All the swarm
of tiny embryonic things busy growing
beneath the leaves since the middle Of
February add only the tiniest fraction Of
an inch to their height during the early
days OF April. The revelation of peep
beneath the leaves late in February is
an establishment to him that comes upon
that curious neither world for the first
time. because of the teeming life be-
meath q surface Of apparent death, but
every subsequent peep for six weeks after
is a disappointment to any but the close
~ observant lover of such things There
is. to be sure, something new each week,
it seems a trfe TO that burst Of spring
which the FIRST glimpse seemed TO pro-
mise.
Most persons believe that spring. like
all of her sex. and especially like spoiled
beauties such as she herself, must be
left TO her own caprices, and neither
hurried nor delayed. This. however is
not true of her, though ii would be
rash male who should make any hasty
generalization from that fact The way
ward Northern spring of this region,
which loves TO coquette with her impa-
tient adorers and then, suddenly, in wild
abandon, 10 burst upon them in the full
sDlendor Of her charms, may be coaxed
out Of her reserves and delays and made
TO unfold herself weeks in advance Of the
time set in her own heart
Any person provided with the simplest
kind of dollhouse. or even wide. sunny
window. may surprise spring into all
sorts OF unreasonable performances: may
enjoy wild April flowers a month before
their time. and bring May flowers into
being before the middle Of April A subur-
ban resident has had pale lavender liver
worts blooming for days past. fully two
weeks, and perhaps three weeks. before
their sisters of the wood will bloom. and
has seen half dozen plants. still In en-
bryo under the forest carpet OF dead
leaves. unfold into leaf and bud. The
liverwort brought in from the woodland
early in April, or even I'm March. when II
shows naught but three or four of last
years dark reddish leaves. with the lit
tie spark Of life they have kept through
the winter and "A central tuft of hair-like
hlaments hiding the undeveloped buds
begins to expand in three or four days
by the encouraging warmth of a hot
house. or behind the glass OF a sunny
window. Last years leaves lose their
small spark Of life, tiny folded blossoms
thrust their heads from the central tuft.
new leaves begin to unfold, and in a week,
or perhaps less. there are the tiny bios
SONS like wistful violet eyes looking out
upon an unknown world.
1t is an uncommonly interesting thing
carefully to remove the dead leaves from
a square foot OF woodland surface. and
to take up with trowel or shovel a lump
Of the black earth together with what
ever visible or hidden things may be
making II their home This slice Of
nature. If placed in n shallow box. a
flower pot, or a hanging basket. and kept
for a few days In a warm. sunny place
where ii may easily be watered will
begin a series of fascinating perform
ances The possessor of this epltome Of
spring may watch as closely as he will
the early unfoldngs Of vegetation. learn
the secrets of nature. and actually look
into her curious laboratory Such a
lump OF forest earth is likely TO contain
not only half a dozen different vegetable
growths. but. as well. odd embryonic
insect life. and II a microscope be AT hand
its revelations are likely TO be bewildering.
The least instructed in botany may
make such an experiment. bat the person
who knows the early forms Of wood
plants well enough to select for him.
self what he will take In and coax into
early blooming. may bring about most
surprising and delightful results. The
marvelously white bloodroot. with its
golden centre and its faint musky odor.
may be FASTENED into blooming long be-
fore II has begun TO star the russell car
pet OF the May woodlands. The wood
vioets. blue and white. yield gracefully
to this treatment. and even the ferns.
which come through the winter with
last years fronds in ragged array. but
show down close TO the roots light yellow.
fluffy, grublike nodules. the new fronds
in embryo. may be made TO unfold their
mystery.
A hint as to the best treatment OF the
wood plants thus deceived by "A mimic
indoor spring may be had from the char
acter Of the spots In which they were
found. Those growing In marshy spots
must be kept saturated with water; those
from dry woodland need moderate mois-
ture without too much sun: those from
the open fields cannot have too much
warmth and sunshine. New York Sun.