2 PLANT LIFE ON THE FARM. 



be satisfactorily solved, as full a knowledge as possible of 

 all the conditions requisite for the process must be in some 

 way or another obtained. Success in a practical pursuit 

 like agriculture depends largely on the extent of our know- 

 ledge, and still more upon our power of applying it under 

 various circumstances. In the following notes an attempt 

 will be made to supply indications of some among the 

 phenomena of the life of plants of which it seems most 

 desirable that the cultivator should take heed. The word 

 " indications " is used because no attempt at completeness 

 of detail or exhaustive treatment will be made, for that 

 would be out of place here ; and, moreover, the subject has 

 already been treated from its chemical aspect in a Handbook 

 by Mr. Warington. Some slight knowledge of the general 

 conformation of plants on the part of the reader is assumed, 

 but explanations of the more important points will be given ; 

 while for further illustration of the construction of plants 

 the reader may be referred to the writer's " Botany for 

 Beginners " (Bradbury, Agnew, & Co.). 



A living plant feeds, breathes, grows, developes, multi- 

 plies, decays, and ultimately dies. In so doing it receives, 

 it spends, it accumulates, it changes. Some of these 

 processes are always in operation, very generally more than 

 one is going on at the same time, and the action of one is 

 modified by and controlled by that of another. Some cir- 

 cumstances and conditions favour these operations, others 

 hinder them. The practical cultivator has his concern in 

 all these matters, so that it is of no slight moment to him 

 to realise what is the work which a plant does, and how it 

 does it. 



How Plants Feed. The nutritive process has to be 



