CHAPTER VIII 



PLANTS AND SUNLIGHT 



99. Each Plant Responds to Light. — Green plants live 

 only in sunlight, direct or indirect. The gradual with- 

 drawal of light tends to weaken the plant; but the plant 



makes an effort to reach the light 

 and therefore grows toward it. The 

 whole habit of a plant may be 

 changed by its position with ref- 

 erence to sunlight. Choose two 

 similar plants. Place one near 

 the window and the other far 

 from it. Watch the behavior from 

 day to day. Fig. 73 shows a 

 fern that grew near the glass in 

 a conservatory: Fig. 74 shows one that grew on the 

 floor of a conservatory. Fig. 74 also teaches another 

 lesson, which is to be explained in another chapter (Chapter 

 XXVIII). 



100. Plants grow toward the light. The most vigor- 

 ous branches, as a rule, are those that receive most light. 



73. Sufficient light. 



75. Growing toward the light. 



