PLANT LIFE. Many wild plants, grasses, and trees may grow naturally near your home or school. See how many of the wild plants in your neighborhood you can call by name. Which are vines ? Which are shrubs ? Bring the plants into school, and we will learn the names of those we do not know and something of the habits of all plants. Plants have habits as well as boys and girls. Remember where you find each plant growing-by the side of water, on low, wet land, or on the higher, drier ground. This will help us to find out what each plant needs in order to live and thrive. Plants require food as people do. The plants take their food from the soil in which they grow. The above is the picture of a real school garden, where the children have planted the seeds and are now studying the plants to see how they grow. Describe it. You should have a little garden of your own, if it is only in a window box. Some plants live many years. Find out which of those brought into school belong to this class. Some live one year, others two years. Which are these? Many plants are beautiful; others are useful to mankind and animals; while some are both beautiful and useful. Some plants seem useless, and we call them weeds. COTTON. Here is the picture of a shrubby plant which is cultivated in warm countries for the fluffy fiber which surrounds its seeds. This fiber is called cotton. The seed is sown in March or April, and the cotton is gathered from August to December. The flowers vary in color with the different varieties-some being purple, others yellow, others a pinkish-white. As the petals. drop off the seed-vessel or bole swells to the size of a large apple. It then bursts open, and the cotton is ready for the picking. As the seed-vessels ripen and burst open at different times on the same plant, the season for cotton-picking continues for some weeks. From the picture on the preceding page tell who the cotton pickers are and how they gather the cotton. The seeds are closely enveloped in the fiber, which is carried from the fields to the cotton-gin. Here the fiber is separated from the seeds. Describe what you see in the picture of a cotton-gin. It is then baled and taken to a railroad Describe the scene ton." From tion or is sent to in large our own try and tries to Plants are cultivated for many pur- other poses. Some are cultivated for their ROOTS or TUBERS; some for their STALKS or STEMS; some for their LEAVES; some for BUDS and BLOSSOMS, and some for their FRUIT or SEEDS. Think what part of each of the plants which you know is used for food. Make a list of the plants which you know are raised for their leaves; for their stems-either as an article of food or fiber (the fiber of some plants is used for making cordage and cloths); for their roots or tubers; for bud or blossom; for seed; for fruit. Bring in pictures of the different plants which we eat. Also bring in specimens of those which grow in your neighborhood. Go to the groceries, fruit-stores, and drugstore and find out what plant products are sold which come from sections having about the same seasons that we have. Which come from warmer countries; which from colder countries. into all kinds of cotton station or wharf. COTTON PLANT. Shipping Cotthe stawharf it factories cities in counin coun be made materials. tures of the Bring to all kinds of What plants give us our spices? Spices grow in countries which have hot weather for most of the year. Bring in all kinds of spices. Find out from which part of the plant the spice is taken. |