A HOME GARDEN PROJECT 



307 



sunlight with its energy is the power that runs the factory. 

 The green coloring matter in the leaf, under the influence 

 of sunlight, takes carbon dioxide from the air and water 

 from the soil, and changes them into sugars and starches. 

 It uses the mineral salts and carbon compounds to make 

 proteins, and the living matter from 

 which the plant is formed. ' Each 

 one of us, eating food which plants 

 have formed, may make living 

 matter of it, or if we prefer a mixed 

 diet of animal and plant food, we 

 take the flesh of some animals 

 which have lived upon food manu- 

 factured by green plants. In 

 either case the food was originally 

 made by plants, hence food supply 

 ultimately depends on plants for its 

 source. 



A home garden project. We know that the soil must 

 be well watered, and we know that we need sunlight in 

 order to have a successful garden. We therefore choose 

 a slope which faces south so as to get as much light as 

 possible, and an area free from trees. Take a square 

 ruled sheet of paper ; five squares to the inch is a con- 

 venient ruling. Lay out the garden according to the area 

 you have. Mark the borders with green crayon. Put in 

 flower beds, using the colors of the flowers, also show the 

 position of any fruit trees, or shade trees, grape vines, or 

 the like. Mark off your space for vegetables, putting 

 green or other colored dots to show the position of dif- 

 ferent plants. Use the suggestions in table (p. 311) for the 

 distances apart for planting your vegetables. Make plans 



Starchless area in a leaf caused 

 by excluding sunlight by 

 means of a strip of black 

 cloth. 



