HOW THE LIVING PLANT USES WATER 75 
beet 4 to 5 cm.' long, 2 to 3 cm. broad, and about 4 to 
5 mm. thick. Hold them between the thumb and 
finger and try to bend them. They yield but little to 
pressure. They are firm or rigid. 
Place some of the slices of beet in a five per dant salt 
solution,? and some in fresh water. After a half hour 
or so, test the slices in the fresh water by trying to 

Fic. 103. Beet slices; at left fresh one, middle one after lying in salt solution, right- 
hand one taken from salt water and placed in fresh water. 
bend them between the thumb and finger. They 
remain rigid as before. Now test those which have 
been lying in the salt solution. They are limp and 
flabby and bend easily under pressure. 
Now remove the slices from the salt solution and 
place them in fresh water. After an hour or so test 
121 cm. =1 inch. 25 mm. = 1 inch. 
2 Dissolve a heaped tablespoonful of table salt in a tumbler of water. 
The solution will be nearly a five per cent one, 
