CONDITIONS FOR THE GROWTH OF PLANTS. 25 



tent, determine the character of the flora of that 

 country. 



The soil is, perhaps, the least important of the 

 conditions required for plant growth. 



This statement is at first thought so much at 

 variance with the generally received opinion as to 

 need an explanation. 



"Where a particular kind of plant is to be grown, 

 the character of the soil, probably, stands next in 

 importance to the presence of the germ or seed ; 

 for each plant thrives best in a particular kind of 

 soil. The variety of plants that exist, however, 

 is so great that, given almost any kind of soil, 

 together with certain conditions of heat, light, 

 and moisture, such soil will be found to be best 

 suited for the growth of some particular kind of 

 plant. In other words, if the proper conditions 

 of moisture, heat, and light are present, and the 

 germ is present, vegetation will appear in almost 

 any region. 



Nature has generously scattered the germs of 

 various forms of plant life nearly all over the 

 earth's surface. Therefore, if unmolested by man, 

 she will, in most cases, maintain on such surfaces 

 the kind of plant forms or plant growths best 

 suited to grow naturally. 



