1 Ocr., 1901.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 369 
find that you were no longer able to walk briskly. You would get weaker 
every hour, and unless you got a drink soon you would have to lie down, and 
perhaps die of thirst. The plant wants a drink just as much as you do, and, if 
it does not get it in time, like you, it will die. But you suddenly come upon a 
water-hole full of nice clear water. You quench your thirst, and you soon 
facome quite lively once more. So with the plant; it quenches its thirst and 
ives on. 
But water is not the only food the plant requires. If it got nothing else 
itwould die, as you would if youhad no otherfood but water. You must have 
bread and butter and meat and vegetables, and when you are ill you must have 
medicine. Now you see how much you resemble a plant, for it wants all sorts 
of solid food in addition to water. I have told you the names of some of 
these foods that the plant lives upon, and when you have learnt more about the 
plant itself I will tell you more about them. ‘There are some hard names to 
remember which you need not learnnow. The medicines which such plants need 
will also have to be studied later on. 
Let us go back now to our little rootlet. We left it in the ground 
pumping up food to the shoot. Now, however, the shoot has grown so big and 
strong that the single rootlet cannot alone supply its wants, so a number of 
tiny, thread-like roots grow from the sides of the first rootlet, and these, being 
all hollow like the parent root, at once set to work to pump up food for the 
strong shoot above them. ‘This shoot now sends out leaves. You may easily 
see the leaf being formed within a bean seed. ‘The seed of some plants comes 
up out of the ground on top of the shoot, and remains there until it dries and 
falls off. It has nothing further to do with the plant. It produced the germ 
I told you of ; then it afforded nourishment to the plant until it was able to 
provide for itself. After that it was of no use. 
Now we see the more perfect plant gradually becoming larger, and 
constantly throwing out more leaves, aided by the greater number of little 
rootlets. As the plant food becomes used up near the ends or mouths of the 
‘rootlets, they stretch out further in search of it, just in the same manner as 
you would stretch out your hand to get at something at a distance from you. 
Questions on Lesson 1. 
1. What happens when a seed is placed in the ground ? 
2. What are the first three parts of a plant when it appears above ground? 
3. Whence do plants obtain their food ? 
4. What is the “ germ” of the seed ? 
What substance is necessary for all plants ? 
What is plant food ? 
. How do plants take in food ? 
8. When a plant sends out leaves, how does it obtain the extra food it now 
requires ? © 
9. When all the plant food in the soil near the root is exhausted, how do 
the roots obtain fresh supplies ? 
DUD 
DESTRUCTION OF STDA RETUSA. 
__Mr. F. ff. Swanwick writes, on the subject of destruction of Sida retusa, 
prickly pear, and Lantana, in praise of the effectual work performed in this 
direction with Street's White Ant Mixture. It is well known that arsenical 
preparations are destructive of many forms of plant life, and this is abundantly 
Pevved by the successful destruction of prickly pear in the experiments now 
being carried on by the Department of Agriculture. The whole matter resolves 
itself into a question of cost—the effect is clear. We have, however, not yet 
known of any experiments having been made on Sida retusa or Lantana. It 
Seems strange that the grass amongst these pests should survive the ordeal, as 
