Children In Spring (1957)

[Music] this is the first day of spring Jerry's teacher said so in school today but Jerry and his friends look at the trees all around they can't see much difference between yesterday and today that's because seasons change slowly since just before Christmas each day has been getting a little longer and each night a little shorter as the boys hurry home Tom stops off at Jerry's house with him Jerry tells his mother he has something to show her it's a poster he made in school shows day and night exactly the same length when that happens it's the first day of spring usually it comes on March 21st or 22nd Jerry and Tom want to start a garden but Mrs Frank tells them it's still too early in this climate it's still cold in March the buds on the bushes are just beginning to get bigger Jerry's sister Jane still sees snow in a few places even though the crocus one of the first flowers of spring is already in bloom but it won't be very long now before there'll be many more signs of spring in a few weeks the buds on the trees and bushes begin to open into green leaves our special camera shows how leaves un fold from the buds in nature this takes several days Jane and Jerry find some fuzzy willows they look especially dainty when the sunlight shines through them like this we can watch the hepatica blossoms burst into bloom plants are alive and always moving they move so slowly that we can't see it without this special camera and here we see tulip leaves just just beginning to push their way up through the [Music] ground here again our special camera shows us how the for CIA flowers open [Music] gradually now there are many signs of spring the birds have begun to come back too many of them in the climate where Jerry and Jane live flew Southward for the wind win and now they are returning in the spring some will fly farther north others will stay here all summer to build their nests lay eggs and hatch their young the Franks have many daffodils and tulips in their yard Jane is watching her mother pick daffodils these plants grow from bulbs which stay in the soil all winter in Spring as the soil becomes warm and wet the bulbs grow and but and here the flowers are in blo daffodils are among the first spring flowers here's another early spring flower the Tulip tulips also grow from BS the Tulips are especially lovely this year by early May many different flowers are blooming in the yard Jane loves to pick pansies these pansies aren't able to lived through the winter they were started in a greenhouse by a gardener and then were planted in the yard the Violets Are In Bloom too they go very well with the pansies Jane wonders if she should add some dandelions to her bouquet they're a pretty yellow color even though they don't have a pleasant scent like so many flowers do but Jane's mother doesn't seemed to like the dandelions she's digging them out she says dandelions are weeds that Crow out the grass but Jane still thinks they look pretty in her [Music] bouquet May is a good month for picnics and today is just right for one the Sun is bright and the air warm the children can leave their jackets in the car [Music] by the end of May the Earth is warm and all the trees are covered with new leaves trees are very colorful and many have lovely blossoms on them Jerry and Jane lead the way they're looking for a good picnic spot but Jerry stops look at the light colored needles of the evergreen trees his father explains that these are new needles which grew this spring some of the old needles will drop off Jane sees a good spot for the picnic right beside the stream in a little puddle near the bank they find a surprise some tiny tadpoles they'll grow into frogs later in the summer [Music] there are many wild flowers in the woods and Fields these are wild geraniums this is pink lady slipper this is Trillium and here's another kind of Trillium this one is Jack in the pulpit and this is a buttercup Jerry has spotted something his father sees it too it's a yellow War beside its nest in the tree there are many newborn animals in the woods in Spring here are some tiny Robins begging for food the Chipmunk is busy digging into the ground here's a family of tiny rabbits and there goes a family of striped skunks nearby there's a woodchuck he slept all all winter till the weather turned warm after their picnic lunch Jerry and Jane go exploring Through the Woods by the stream they hear the frogs croaking Jerry looks for them but they're too well hidden but he does see lots of fish swimming in the water they see a duck and her baby attached from duck eggs there are so many things to see in the woods in the spring the time to go home comes much too soon for Jerry and [Music] Jane on their way home the family drives through the farm country Mr Frank tells Jerry and Jane to look into field across the road they see the farmer plowing his field for safety Mr Frank pulls off the highway onto the shoulder beside the road spring is plowing time in this climate and that reminds Jerry and Jane that it's time to get their Garden started the Earth is just right for planting warm and not too wet these are young tomato plants Mrs Frank started them from seeds in the house while it was still too cold for them to grow out of doors Jerry's planting corn seeds they'll have to be thinned out when they start to grow the children are planting carrot seeds too and they're going to put in some flowers Mrs Frank has brought some boxes of Merry Golds and ageratum from a [Music] gardener she shows Jane how to handle them carefully so they won't be hurt while they're being put into the ground and here comes Jerry with more plants these are [Music] petunias Jane hopes the sun will shine and the rain will fall to help their flowers grow and sure enough the wind begins to blow a spring storm is coming Thunders showers often come up quite suddenly in the spring Jane is glad that they finished their Garden just before the rain but soon the Sun comes out again Mr Frank is pleased with the garden Jerry and Jane have planted this spring what a busy spring it has been