Organic Materials at www.japanese-home-gardens.com

As soon as a piece of land is dug, the process of humus breakdown is speeded up. This means the soil structure and the organic and chemical content may have to be altered. There are many materials, bulky or granular, organic or inorganic, that can be used to improve soil and turn it into the best possible growing medium for a wide range of plants. A compost pile will cheaply and quickly turn backyard and kitchen waste into valuable soil-enriching material. • To make good, crumbly compost the pile must be properly constructed so that the organic material can decompose rapidly and not just turn into a pile of stagnant vegetation.

Because molecules of organic materials are susceptible to radiation, we may soon see the development of tougher plastics, economically vulcanized rubber, and even more rigid wood products for furniture. These chemical processes, fascinating in their complexity and variety, are rapidly approaching the point of economic utility, at which time a whole range of new materials may be at man's disposal.

The leaf is the site of photosynthesis in the tree. In this important process, water and atmospheric carbon dioxide are combined with the help of chlorophyll in the green leaf and the use of light energy, into complex organic materials. These materials may be utilized in the leaves or transported to other regions of the tree and there assimilated. Bole.—The bole or trunk functions in the conduction of materials and is the primary supporting column of the tree. This region is the main source of lumber in the tree and has a complex structure.