ABOUT HOME 15 



the cabbage, cauliflower, and kohlrabi ? What becomes of 

 the edible parts of these plants if they are left in the 

 garden over winter ? Do these fleshy parts begin to grow 

 again if you winter the plants in the cellar and plant them 

 out next spring ? When do the vegetables you have studied 

 produce flowers and seeds ? 



If possible, compare the flowers of turnips, radishes, ruta- 

 bagas, cabbage, mustard, cauliflower, and kohlrabi. Do you 

 find any remarkable similarity ? 



Many unbidden guests help themselves to our fruits and 

 vegetables or eat the leaves of our plants. Among them 

 are caterpillars and beetles. The Forest Tent Caterpillars 

 sometimes become so numerous that whole acres of woods 

 are stripped of leaves and many trees killed. If fruit trees 

 are denuded of their leaves, they cannot bear fruit, but 

 must produce new leaves or die. 



In fighting our insect enemies, many birds, and even some 

 insects, come to our assistance. It is therefore to our interest 

 to protect these birds and insects as much as we can. 



Many insects come to the flowers for honey, but inciden- 

 tally they carry the pollen of one flower to the pistil of an- 

 other. This transfer of pollen from one flower to another 

 is called 'cross-fertilization. As many flowers are so con- 

 structed that they cannot fertilize themselves, but depend 

 entirely upon insects for fertilization, such insects render 

 a great service to the plant. If the pistil of a plant does 

 not receive pollen in some way, then that plant will not 

 produce any seeds. 



EXPLANATION OF SOME BOTANICAL TERMS : 



1. The Calyx, The cup. It forms the green covering 

 of the flower bud, and is found under the corolla, after the 

 flower has expanded. 



2. The Corolla, The crown. The bright-colored leaves 

 or the tube within the calyx. 



