3o8 



Science of Plant Life 





3 



Fig. iSi. Harvesting rice iii California. 



sources of food. The rattan is a climbing palm, for the 

 '' fiber " of which there is a world-wide market. This fiber, 

 which consists of flat or cylindrical strips of the stem, is used 

 in the making of chairs, tables, and baskets. 



The grass family. The grasses furnish the bulk of the food of 

 animals and men ; and with the possible exception of the 

 trees, no other group of plants compares with them in use- 

 fulness. They form the natural covering of a large part of the 

 earth's surface. The prairies and plains of North America, 

 the steppes of Russia, and the pampas of Argentina are vast 

 areas that were originally dominated by grasses. These sup- 

 ported great herds of grazing animals before the coming of 

 man, and since that time they have been the centers for cattle, 

 horse, and sheep production. Grasses are cultivated on most 

 farms to furnish pasturage for the live stock. 



The stems of grasses are cylindrical and usually hollow, 

 except at the nodes. The leaves are usually two-ranked, 

 the basal portion forming a sheath about the stem, as may be 



