420 



Junior Naturalist Monthly. 



The water on ilie pebble. 



waiting a moment, watch the second drop make a larger fihn than the 

 first. 



Add drop after drop and with each 

 drop note the change in the fihn. 



Soon the fihn on the pehhle will be 

 much thicker at the bottom than at the 

 top. As drops of water continue to fall, 

 the film becomes so thick and heavy at 

 the bottom that it can no longer cling to 

 the pebble and it falls in the form of a 

 drop. 



It is somewhat after this manner that 

 rain works downward from pebble to 

 pebble and from soil grain to soil grain 

 until some hard clay or rock stops its 

 downward course. This point is called 

 the water-table. 



I have another " garden command- 

 ment " to give you. It relates to 

 water. The knowledge of it will 

 sooner or later help you to know 

 how to make plants comfortable : 

 When zvafcr is left to itself, it 

 never stands still. 



It is always in motion unless 

 it is chained up so that it has to 

 remain out of motion, — when it 

 is corked inside a bottle, for ex- 

 ample. 



As soon as the drops of water 

 have stopped draining down- 

 ward and reach the water-table, 

 ihcy turn al)Out and begin climb- 

 ing upward to the surface of the 

 earth. You may see for your- 

 self how water travels uphill ami 

 downhill. 



Secure a brick — a soft one — 

 and put it on end in a plate con- 



How Water climbs a brick. 



