126 



THE GARDEN OF EARTH 



grows, the bulb will gradually give up its stored supply, 



becoming smaller and smaller. 



Sometimes the storage is in the leaves, instead of in 



roots or bulbs. We find this with a very commonplace 



though useful plant the Cabbage. You know what 



large strong leaves it has, and how wholesome they are 

 said to be. No wonder ! for 

 the leaves are real reserve- 

 stores of food, laid by for the 

 plant's own use. 



In other cases, again, the 

 storage is in the stem, instead 

 of roots or leaves, as with the 

 brown " tubers " of the potato- 

 plant. Many people suppose 

 them to be roots, because they 

 are dug out of the earth. But 

 they are really more in the 

 nature of swelled portions of 

 underground stems, as they 

 have buds the " eyes." They 

 are big with a fine hoard of 

 starchy nourishment, which 

 would later have been most 



useful for the plant itself, if some one had not stepped 



in and eaten the " potato." 



These storages are found, not only in biennials, but 



in plants of longer life. And there are also special little 



stores, carefully put by for the feeding of the seeds when 



they begin to grow. 



By that time the seed will have separated itself from 



the parent-plant, which may or may not have died. But 



SNOWDROP. (Showing stem, 

 flower and root.) 



