, 1925-05-27
PLANTING THE
TULIP BULBS
BY THOMAS ARKLE CLARK
Dean of Men, University of
Illinois.
THE bulbs came late last fall. l had

THE bulbs came late last fall. l had
ordered them for the first week
in October with the hope Of get
ting them in early. but there was de-
lay In shipping them from Holland, the
florist said, or congestion of freight
at a shipping port, or something that
the railroad was responsible for. At
any rate they did not come.
October passed, and no bulbs came;
November vas almost at an end. and
/ had given VI all hope of the tulips.
Winter was coming on, the ground
would soon be frozen, and If they did
not come Immediately it would be use
less for Their to come at all, for they
could not be planted.
Then IL night, as | was coming
from the office after dark, l stumbled
up the porch steps and ran into a
large box standing in front of the door.
My bulbs had ZONE. 1t was too late
TO begin work hat night. / looked up
the address of my boy who was to
help with the work, but he had no
telephone. ] should have to wait until
tomorrow to summon him.
= l awakened early the next morning
with an underlined feeling that there
was something l ought to do immedi
ately. The rising sun was shining In
at my window. but there was n feeling
in the air that suggested the oncom-
Ing winter. Then | remembered the
tulips. Should l ge: up and plant
them myself, or SHOULD / trust to luck
n the Uncertain boy? The bed felt
mighty comfortable, and / have little
enough time TO sleep in the morning.
remembered the legend that II you
really want a thing done, the best
way is to do 1t yourself, and / rolled
out and got into my garden trousers.
The ground was still in good condi-
ton, late as it was, and by working
hard ] got them half in by breakfast
time, and l came home early from the
office In the evening and finished the
job. That night the weather man got
busy, the thermometer fell almost to
zero. and the ground frOze S that
there was no more planting until
spring. l had finished in the nick OF
time.
have often remarked hat In gar
dening as in other things there is a
definite time when a thing should be
done, and If 1t Is not done then there
is likely to De regret or failure. No
matter at what sacrifice or discomfort,
IT pays to do a thing at the right time
Sometimes. of course, one time may
be as good as another, but usually
there comes an hour when a task
should be accomplished or 1t Is never
done so OPPORTUNITY again.
Outside today the birds are singing
the grass is turning green, and after {
long, hard winter. there Is n breatl
of spring in the air. New life ant
new opportunities are springing NJ
within us. 1t is the time of the res
direction, when new hope is born ant
a new vision to us.
Through my open window I can see
the crocuses In bloom, the lilac budi
are swelling and showing a touch Of
tender green. and everywhere the tn
lips are sticking up their heads
Clumps of them are appearing in tn,
~shrubbery, and the long rows ar
. showing In the buds. l know 1t will
be only a matter of n few sunshin.
days and a few gentle showers unit
the garden will be n riot of color
of red and orange and violet and rose
and / shall be more than compensate,
for my early rising and my hours o
unpleasant labor in November.
"a. 1925, Western Newspaper Union-)