CHAPTER II. 

 PLANTS. 



Plants have life and motion. Their struggle for existence. Their 

 structure. How complex plants develop. Organs and func- 

 tions. Why plants have so many roots and leaves. Structure 

 and function of leaves. How a leaf works. Arrangement and 

 shapes of leaves. The storing of food in plants. Importance of 

 perfect seeds. Individual plants Indian corn, potatoes, peas, 

 and beans. 



Under the study of soil it was found that, during 

 long ages, the earth has produced a layer of 

 decayed and ground-up rock, varying in thickness 

 from a few inches to several feet. This soil covers 

 the face of the land and is the natural home of 

 most plants. 



Some of the first and simplest forms of plants 

 have always lived in water. They adopted this 

 mode of living when the earth was new and before 

 any soil was formed. Their food is dissolved in 

 the water in which they live. In this manner of 

 living, they simply float upon the water, a part of 

 the plant being below the surface and a part of it 

 above. Such plants as seaweeds of the oceans, 

 and the small duck-weeds of our ponds have all 

 the conditions necessary for plant growth and 

 development. They have earthy material dis- 



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