8 A GENERAL VIEW OF PLANTS 



cycle of a plant returns us to the place of starting. The series of 

 events may be represented as shown in Figure 1, and in tracing 

 them one can begin at any point. The yield of the plant at 

 maturity depends upon how well it has done at the different 

 stages in its life cycle. The purpose of cultivation is to help the 

 plant to do well at all stages, and it is for this reason that we look 

 after the fertility of the soil, select seed, prepare a seed bed, sow 

 or plant a certain amount of seed and in a certain way, prevent 

 the growth of weeds, etc. But often methods of cultivation 

 must take into account the structure and function of plant 

 organs as they occur at the different stages in the life cycle of 

 the plant, and unless the peculiar features of the plant are 

 understood, the methods employed in cultivation may not be 

 adapted to secure the best results. 



