HOW PLANTS GROW 



the cells of the root will not be so well fed; then the root 



can not grow so fast, and so can not absorb so much 



water for the leaves, 



so the whole plant 



must grow more slow- 



ly. If, from any 



cause, the leaves do 



not receive their full 



share of sunlight, they 



can not prepare their 



amount of food, and 



the plant will 



suffer. The 



leaves of our 



plants should 



be protected 



from harm. 

 Buds. Ev- 



ery live part of 



a stem termin- 



FIG. 14. Potato plant. U. St., under- 

 ground stems. R, roots. The tubers 

 are the thickened ends of the under- 

 ground stems. Much reduced. 



ates in a bud. (Figure 15.) If a part of the 

 stem is growing, the bud at its tip is not well de- 

 fined. But on stems that live through winter, 

 when growth ceases, the buds are covered with 

 scales, which usually render them easily seen. 

 Buds inclosed in scales are called dormant buds. 

 In woody stems, a dormant bud commonly forms 

 in summer just above the base of each leaf. 

 Fl Budt"~When the leaves drop in autumn, the buds re- 

 main. On the return of spring, they expand into new 

 leaves or sometimes into flowers. The bud at the end 



