SURROUNDINGS OF THE HOME 247 



Exercises 



1. In what ways may the care of grounds and garden at home be both a 

 rest and a recreation? What advantages has such an occupation over 

 (a) complete cessation from physical activities; (b) extended travel in 

 pursuit of rest, recreation, and amusement? Name some special bene- 

 fits sought in vacation trips away from home. 



2. What school studies may very profitably accompany the care of gardens 

 by boys and girls? What out-of-door responsibilities at home other than 

 care of the garden may yield both pleasure and profit? 



3. Name various fruits that may be grown about the home with no large 

 amount of care. Which in your community yields the best returns 

 annually on an average? 



4. How may ignorance, carelessness, or dishonesty in the growth, harvest, 

 and distribution of seeds affect both national prosperity and individual 

 welfare? What supervision is exercised at present so that seeds on the 

 market shall prove true to name, and possess high germinating power? 



6. What meaning has the phrase "The dignity of labor"? 



6. What is meant by initiative in any of the affairs of life? 



7. After an examination of the Table on page 225, state the value of garden 

 produce such as tomatoes, onions, lettuce, apples, berries, etc., relative 

 to the value of meat, eggs, and wheat flour in protein and in calories 

 of energy. Explain the importance of vegetables and of fruits as an 

 essential part of our foods. 



SOIL CONDITIONS FOR PLANT GROWTH 



Mixed with the large and varying proportions of sand, 

 gravel, stones, clay, iron oxide and other more or less soluble 

 substances, there are found in fertile soils small quantities 

 of soluble compounds of sodium, potassium, nitrogen, phos- 

 phorus, and a few other chemical elements. Apart from a 

 plentiful supply of water, it is the exhaustion of these last- 

 named smaller portions that changes fruitful soils into barren 

 ones. In arid and semi-arid districts the soil may be rich 

 in these soluble mineral compounds accumulated through the 

 ages, the soil not having been subjected to washings from 

 rainfall. Irrigation makes these regions highly fruitful. 



Sandy soils are likely to be more or less barren wherever 

 found since soluble material is washed down out of reach of 



