2O4 FL WE R- LAND. 



spiration you will understand why the plant needs a 

 proper supply of air. 



In wild places the herbs and leaves of trees decay 

 upon the ground where they grow and so give back 

 to the earth what they took away from it by their 

 roots. But if the crops are taken away from the land 

 and nothing put into it again it gradually gets poorer 

 and poorer until at last there is not enough food in it 

 for the plants to thrive upon. This is why the 

 manuring of land is so necessary, and it requires both 

 knowledge and judgment to give the land that kind 

 of manure or food which will best suit the kind of 

 plant which we are about to grow. 



Then from a knowledge of the nature of plants as to 

 their need with regard to water has grown up the 

 science of draining. 



But I have said enough to show you that without 

 some knowledge of the physiology of plants, farmers 

 and gardeners and those who have to do with the 

 life and growth of plants, cannot work intelligently, 

 and can hardly expect to be successful. 



We will end our talks on physiology by my telling 

 you about the length of time plants live. Some only 

 have one flowering season and then die. These are 

 called " monocarpous"* one fruiting. A few of them 



From the Greek " monos" one ; or "polus" many ; and " karpos" 

 fruit. 



