FIELD, FOREST AND FARM THINGS INTERESTING TO YOUNG NATURE-LOVERS, INCLUDING SOME MATTERS OF MOMENT TO GARDENERS AND FRUIT-GROWERS BY JEAN-HENRI FABRE Author of “The Story-Book of Science,” “Our Humble Helpers,” “Social Life in the Insect World,” etc. TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH BY FLORENCE CONSTABLE BICKNELL NEW YORK THE CENTURY CO. 1919 CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I The Staff of Life 3 II The History of Tobacco 11 III The Origin of Fertile Soil 16 IV Different Kinds of Soil 21 V Different Kinds of Soil (Continued) 25 VI Potash and Phosphorus 30 VII Phosphates and Nitrogen 35 VIII Vegetation and the Atmosphere 42 IX Lime 47 X Lime in Agriculture 52 XI Plaster of Paris 56 XII Plaster of Paris in Agriculture 60 XIII Natural Fertilizers—Guano 65 XIV The Stalk of the Plant 70 XV The Root 74 XVI Buds 80 XVII Adventitious Buds 84 XVIII Bulbs and Bulblets 89 XIX Tubers—Starch 93 XX Uses of Starch 98 XXI History of the Potato 102 XXII Ascending Sap 107 XXIII Descending Sap 112 XXIV Tree-Pruning 116 XXV Pinching—Bud-Nipping 120 XXVI Making Fruit Trees Bear 124 XXVII The Seed 129 XXVIII The Seed’s Food-Supply 134 XXIX Germination 138 XXX The Blossom 144 XXXI Pollen 150 XXXII The Grain of Wheat 155 XXXIII Cultivated Plants 159 XXXIV Different Ways of Propagating 165 XXXV Layering 170 XXXVI Slipping 178