MANUAL 



, 



OF 



AGRICULTURE 



' 



Nourishment of plants. 



Qiiestion.--How do plants feed ? 



Answer.— Plants feed principally through their 

 roots and leaves. 



Q. How do these roots and leaves operate ? 



A. The roots act as so many small mouths, ex- 

 tracting from the earth a part of the nourishment 

 which the plants require ; and the leaves find in 

 the atmosphere the remaining portion of the food 

 necessary to the life of these same plants. 



Q. What is meant by the words rich or fertile soils, 

 and poor or infertile soils ? 



A. A soil is said to be rich or fertile, when it con- 

 tains a sufficient quantity of the substances neces- 

 sary to the nourishment of plants ; it is said to be 

 poor or infertile when it does not contain these sub- 

 stances, or contains but a small proportion of them. 



