2 AGRICULTURE ON THE PACIFIC SLOPE 



Can seeds grow without air? If we wish a seed to 

 grow, we give it water. But if we put it under water, 

 what happens ? Fill two tumblers full of water. In 

 one place some grains of wheat carefully on the sur- 

 face of the water so that they float. Place some 

 grains under water at the bottom of the other. 

 Which grow best? Why? 



Soak some wheat overnight. The next day place 

 a dozen of the moist grains in a bottle (which 

 should hold eight ounces or more) and cork it tightly. 

 Fill another bottle (of about the same size) full of the 

 soaked wheat and cork it tightly. In which do they 

 grow best? Why? 



The seeds in the full bottle are like boys and girls 

 shut up in a schoolroom without enough fresh air. 

 Where it is cold, seeds grow very little, for they need 

 rmth. This you will see if you put them in a re- / t 

 ^Jrigerator or on ice. They will not keep on growing i^ 



long in the dark, because they need light- And even 

 j n with air, water, warmth, and light, seeds soon^ stop 

 growing if they jip_jaot_jiave Jpod. 



So we see that the needs oftKeTplant are just the 

 same as ours. The plant has difficulties in supplying 

 its needs just as we have. Let us now think how we 

 satisfy our own needs, and how the plant goes about 

 it. First we will ask: 



How does the seed get water from the soil? When we 

 plant seeds, we break the earth up fine and press it 



l u >/ jwar 



