100 THE GARDEN OF EARTH 



II — How THE Work is done 



It must not be supposed that all plants need the same 

 amount of sunshine. Just as with ourselves, that which 

 is good for one is not always good for others. 



Some can hardly have too much, while others droop 

 quickly under heat and glare. Some flowers, like the 

 Viola, lift their faces upward towards the Sun, while 

 others, like the Violet, creep under sheltering leaves. 

 A Viola is more like the sunshine-loving Heartsease.^ 



But, taking the question as a whole, we may say 

 that plants in general undoubtedly do need, not only 

 light, but sunshine also. Without warmth there can 

 be no growth; and more warmth, though not too 

 much, means usually more rapid growth. For the 

 special work of green leaves, sunshine is particularly 

 needed. 



As with flowers so with leaves, you may note if 

 you will how carefully they often seem to arrange 

 themselves, that they may get the greatest possible 

 amount of light. In a plant it can be seen frequently 

 that the leaves — like the Viola blossoms — have most of 

 their upper surfaces turned towards the Sun, spread out 

 level to catch his beams. 



With a large tree, where the foliage grows in dense 

 masses, many parts must be more or less in shade; 

 yet the same result is here aimed at. Each leaf at 

 least tries to obtain its share of sunlight. 



Something else is worth noticing, in the way that 

 leaves are arranged. Very commonly they grow in a 



^ All three are species of Viola. 



