PLANTS AND WATER IQ 



when they are surrounded by it. The leaves of plants 

 can not take in much water, either from water or from moist 

 air. 



Plants Dry the Soil. The total area of the leaf surface 

 of a growing crop is much larger than that of the ground on 

 which the crop grows; and therefore soil on which plants 

 are growing dries much faster than the same kind of soil 

 with no plants growing on it. The soil seldom contains 

 water enough in dry weather to supply crops with all they 

 need. Weeds waste valuable water in dry weather; so do 

 the hedges of underbrush sometimes allowed to grow along 

 fences. The farmer and the gardener should constantly 

 study how to prevent the waste of soil water in dry weather. 

 We shall learn how to do this in a later lesson. 



QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 



1. From what source does a plant get its water? 



2. What is transpiration? 



3. Why does a soil that has plants growing on it dry out 

 faster than the same kind of soil without plants? 



4. Why should weeds not be allowed to grow? 



5. Perform an experiment to show transpiration. (See 

 page 18.) 



