LESSON PAGE I. How Plants take Food from the Soil (1) 5 II. How Plants take Food from the Soil (2) 13 III. The Weasel and the Otter 20 IV. Dwellers in the Corn Field 27 V. Harvest Time 33 VI. The Squirrel 40 VII. How the Fire Burns 48 VIII. The Fire-Balloon 55 IX. The Gull 61 X. Dew, Frost, Rain 68 “LOOK ABOUT YOU.” BOOK II. I.—HOW PLANTS TAKE FOOD FROM THE SOIL (1). Uncle George had taught his little friends many things from what he called the Book of Nature, and what they had learnt made them eager to know more. One day as Dolly, the boys, and Uncle George were in the garden they saw that a tulip, which the day before was in full bloom and strong, was now lying dead on the ground. “Poor little tulip!” said Dolly. Both the boys were sorry too. They had watched it come through the ground like a blade of grass, open out its bud, and expand its bloom. Now all was over. The little flower would no longer enjoy the bright sunshine or the rain. It would no longer send forth its rootlets in search of the food it so much liked. “Have you ever thought, Dolly, how the tulip, and indeed all plants, take their food from the soil?” asked Uncle George. “I know they _must_ feed in some way,” said Dolly, “or they would not grow. But I do not know how they do it.” “Should you like to know, Dolly?” asked Uncle George. “Indeed I should,” said the little girl. The boys were just as eager as Dolly to know about this, so Uncle George and the children went indoors for a lesson. “I cannot tell you how plants take their food from the soil without first of all showing you what happens when water and soil are mixed together in a tumbler,” said Uncle George. “Tom will fetch me a tumbler, and you, Frank, bring me a little water.” When these were brought, Uncle George put a spoonful of soil into the tumbler, and then poured some water on it. “Stir it up, please, Dolly,” said Uncle George, “and you may pretend you are going to make a pudding.” Dolly did so. “Now let us put it aside for a few minutes, while we place the flowers we have gathered into the vases,” said Uncle George. “Then we will look at our tumbler of muddy water.” How pretty the flowers were made to look! How fresh they were! and how pleasant was their scent! The children hardly thought of the tumbler, but Uncle George was ready now for the lesson. [Illustration: Glass of Mud and Water.]