118 BOTANY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 



creasing, the roots sucking up nutriment from 

 the soil, and the leaves elaborating it, until there 

 is enough to produce flowers ; at this point it 

 has an enormous size, and the leaves not being 

 so much required, the outer ones begin to wither : 

 this is the desired sign. It is tapped, and the 

 great amount of juice that comes out fermented, 

 thus making an intoxicating liquor, which is the 

 common drink of the country. When allowed 

 to flower, it sends up a central flower-stalk from 

 eighteen to thirty feet in height, which, in turn, 

 sends out over three thousand flowers, the nec- 

 taries of which distil showers of honey. 



L. Something like the same thing happens 

 with the Lilies in our yard, the long leaves, 

 though much smaller, resemble those of the Aloe, 

 They come out early and begin to work a good 

 while before the flower stalks come up ; after 

 its flowers and its fruit is ripened, the stalks fall 

 down and decay, but the leaves continue as 

 fresh as ever, working until the frost comes and 

 destroys them. 



E. Your simile is a very good one. There 

 are three kinds of plants : the Annual, Biennial, 

 and Perennial. 



The Annuals all come up from seed in the 



