SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL AGRICULTURE. 243 



other base (Table III.), what salts would it form ? Oxalate of 

 potash, oxalate of soda, &c. Do all these acids form salts with 

 the bases in a similar way ? They do, and they are named from 

 the acid, changing its ending into ate, and the base ; as oxalate of 

 lime, acetate of potash, &c., &;c. 



PLANTS. 



What do you say of the well-matured seed ? 124. Of the em- 

 bryo ? 125. What further of the embryo ? 126. Of what does 

 the germ consist? 127. What is the office of the leaves ? 127. 

 Of the roots ? 127. Do plants choose their food ? Illustration 1 

 127 and 128. 



What are the essentials of germination ? 129. Whence does 

 the plant derive its first food ? 129. When does a plant hate, and 

 when love ;the light ? 130. Will you repeat what are the essen- 

 tials of germination? 129. When these are supplied, what takes 

 place? 131. Explain this evolution of heat? 131 and 132. 



Is acetic acid (vinegar) formed in the seed ? 133. For what 



Eurpose ? What other substance is formed ? 133. What power 

 as diastase? 133. Is there sugar in the seed? 133. What is 

 turned into sugar ? 133. What takes place in cooking flour? 134. 

 Explain? 135 and 136. During germination, what do seeds ab- 

 sorb, and what emit ? 137. What takes place afterwards ? 137. 

 Why is this? 137. 



What reflection may we make ? 138. What suggestion to the 

 husbandman? 138. Will |fc illustrate this in full ? 138. What 

 further is said about startin^plants well? 139. At whose dispo- 

 sal is a part of what makes plants grow ? 140. Whose is another 

 part? If we work our own part rightly, what takes place? 140. 

 What is the moral? 141 and 142. 



Do plants purify the air for animals? 143. How? 143. Do 

 animals enrich the air for plants ? How ? Are they mutually 

 beneficial? 143. Who breathes the best air ? 143. 



Whence does the plant obtain most of its carbon ? 144. 

 Whence the rest? 144. How are its oxygen and hydrogen fur- 

 nished? 144. How are they taken in? 144. How is the plant 

 furnished with nitrogen? 145. In what do nitric acid and am- 

 monia exist? 145. Are animal manures specially valuable for 

 the nitrogen in them ? They are. What does the nitrogen in 

 fermenting animal manures form, if nothing else is present? 

 Volatile ammonia, which escapes and is lost. What does it form, 

 if plenty of peat and a little slacked lime are mixed ? In this 

 case the nitrogen forms nitric acid ; this combines with the lime, 

 forming nitrate of lime, a most valuable addition to the manure. 



Whence does the plant obiiin most of its organic elements? 

 146. How might we say the olant feeds itself? 147. Explain 

 further? 147. s 



