New Series, Supplement to Januauv, 1906. 



42s 



Let us go back where I left off about plants that are able to make 

 their own livhig from inorganic (never had life) matter. No other form 

 of life can do that. Some of you boys who afe fond of fishing and use 

 earth worms for bait may think that they live on fine particles of sand 

 and grit. That the worms swallow much of such inorganic (never had 

 life) matter is very true, but it gives no nutriment. The worms find 

 food in the organic (has had life) matter which is mixed with the inor- 

 ganic (never had life). 



Plants are the only living things that can draw any food from inor- 

 ganic matter. Were it not for this power of plants we should all perish 

 from starvation. The food of all animal life from midget flies to ele- 

 phants depends directly or indirectly on the food made by vegetable 

 growths having green leaves. 



We come now to another point which I hope will greatly interest 

 you, which is this : How is the food upon which all life depends made 

 by the plants? 



I think no scientist will deny me the privilege of saying that it is 

 all made in factories. Very busy factories they are, but silent ones. They 

 are mainly in the leaves of plants. The leaves must be green and of very 

 healthy growth or the factories will get out of repair. Some of the raw 

 material that is used comes from the soil, but more of it comes from 

 the air. 



The power to run the factories comes from tJie sunbeams^ 

 You are all familiar with the sight of house plants all bent toward the 



window. That is because 

 they are reaching out to get 

 the power in the sunbeams 

 to run the factories in their 

 leaves. The power in the 

 sunbeams is greatest in the 

 summer when the freckles 

 come on faces and tan on 

 bare feet. In winter, even 

 though the moisture and 

 temperature of the green- 

 house are made just right, 

 the starch factories are not 

 so active as in the sum- 

 mer. The shorter and 

 cloudier day is part of the 

 reason and the glancing of the sun's rays is another and greater one. Ask 

 your teacher or some one who has studied physical geography why the 



Fig. 3. — TJte test. 



Watch the starch grains change 

 in color. 



