CHAPTER XLIII 

 PLANTS AND THEIR RELATION TO MAN 



THE stone quarried for buildings, the metal smelted for uten- 

 sils, and the coal mined for heat are important products of the 

 earth ; but the plants which grow in the deep soil mantle are the 

 most important of all the products because without them man 

 would have no food to sustain him and would be unable to 



FIG. 288. An apple tree in blossom. 



use stone, metal, and coal. Most plants have roots, stems, 

 and leaves, and in addition bear conspicuous flowers (Fig. 288) 

 and fruits sometime during the year. The violet plant bears 

 flowers in early spring, the nasturtium plant in the summer, 

 and the aster plant in the late fall; strawberry vines bear 



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