h'OOTS 5() 



ckin^ out the labourer's dail)- meal. It is worth 

 while to exaininc the curious divided tubers of 

 soinc itf our common orchises, such as the spotted 

 onhis (). iihuitliilii . or the meadow orchis {O. 

 iiiorio . Tlu- tiihcr which produces the lea\es and 

 llowcrs wiiiu-rs a\\a_\- at tlu- end of the summer, 

 hut it lea\cs behind it a second tuber in which is 

 stored up the nourishment required tcj enable it to 

 bring forth leaves and flowers in the followint^ 

 spring. 



Tubers are in realit}' underground stems which 

 ha\e thickened into njunded balls to contain plant 

 food. 



If we examine a potato we shall see that it con- 

 tains true buds in the little hollows on its surface ; 

 these are called " e)'es," and each of them if sown 

 in the ground will produce a new potato plant. If 

 a potato is left in a damp cellar, each of these eyes 

 will send out a stem, thus pro\ing that the " e\'e " 

 has the nature of a bud. If we cut the potato in 

 half we shall see it is of an even substance mainU' 

 composed of starch, but if we halve an onion it will 

 be found to consist of rings or la\ers of a thick 

 flesh)- nature, which pro\es it t(j be a bulb and not 



