Commercial Gardening 



Chestnut, Beech, Elm, Lime, Ash, &c., the leaves are arranged over each 

 other like tiles or slates on a roof to throw the water from the centre to 

 the outside. In this way the rain trickles from one leaf to another, and 

 the great bulk of it falls around the circumference. It is just at this 

 place that nearly all the fibrous feeding roots of such trees exist. Con- 

 sequently, when the rain falls they get the first supplies, and are thus 

 refreshed and enabled to take up more food from the earth in solution. 



In the case of the Yew and many Coniferous trees and shrubs the 

 rain is thrown inwards as well as outwards, owing to the way in which 

 the leaves and branches are arranged. 



In the case of other plants, e.g. the Caladium (fig. 40), it will be noticed 

 that the leaves are so arranged that water is thrown to the circumference 



Fig. S9. ivy on the ground showing normal arrangement of Leaves to catch the light 



or periphery of the plant, to which the fibrous roots extend from the 

 tubers. On the other hand, in the case of the Rhubarb (fig. 40) the large 

 leaves directed upwards naturally collect the rain and direct it towards 

 the centre of the plant, and thus down to the thickened rootstock, the 

 fibres from which do not extend horizontally. The leaves of Turnips, 

 Radishes, Beetroot, Parsnips, Carrots, Dandelions, Chicory, &c., and most 

 bulbous plants are arranged in a similar way, to conduct water inwards 

 for the benefit of their rootstocks. 



Modified Leaves. The scales on the bulb of a Lily are modified by 

 being fleshy, without chlorophyll, and filled with starch. Those of the 

 Daffodil and Onion are made up of the sheathing bases of leaves, and go 

 right round the bulb. The Onion stores a glucose-like substance or grape 

 sugar in the sheaths of the bulb. The stored materials enable the plants 

 to make a good start into growth the following year, and to throw up their 

 flower sterns. In late summer and autumn the apex of each shoot and 

 twig of most trees is covered with brown scale-like leaves for the purpose 

 of protection. The flowers of the Peach, Horse-chestnut, and Rhododen- 

 dron are covered in the same way during the winter. The scales are 



