The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-25
THE STUDY OF SEEDS
INSTRUCTIVE INDOOR PAsTIME WITH
MICROSCOPIC AID.

MICROSCOPIC AID.
There Arc Secrets Which the Seed WIN
Not Revenl-why Do "Big Oaks From
Little Acorns Grow?"-Interesting Fea-
lures OF Many Common Seeds.
Nature may DO studied by tho Preside
in q collection of various seeds, the small
est of which requires microscope to bring
out tho full beauty of form and color. We
have been admiring the exquisite beauty
of seed of Panlownia imperiatis of Japan.
Under the microscope 1t suggests silver
insect with laceliko wings of daintiest web
A common pink seed resembles u piece Of
iron orc beautifully carved. Each portu-
1acca seed is tiny silver shell, while the
seed of q begonia suggests nuggets of pur-
est gold. Tobacco seeds, also, arc gold col
ored with pretty workings. A bit Of En-
glish sedgo discloses pale sea green
sheath filed with plumcd seed full of
grace and beauty.
Some of tho most ordinary seeds tell
fairylike tnles. Horo is brown apple seed
whose maturity was not accomplished
without special Care. Mother Nature has
curiously conceived that in cluster of up
pic blossoms tho central flower shall open
first. All around it is ring of brilliant,
unopened buds with tho under surface of
the petals most highly oolored. This color
ing of the petals on tho undersido assists
in tho successful fertilization of tho CEN
trnl flower. Thus tho buds perform q
healthful function which in other flowers
is performed by older blossoms. The CEN
trail apple blossom Is often the only ono
which bears an apple. All the rest take
their chances. Tho moro conspicuous a
floral cluster tho more certainly the bees
will visit it, rs they havo learned that
faded flowers have been already ri1ed Of
honey. When the fruit appears, 1t Is first
the color Of tho leaves, which thus servo to
protect In order that tho seed may ripen.
But when maturity is reached, ono kind of
apple Is painted with gold and another
with carmino that they may not DO taken
and the seed disturbed.
The curious three oornered seed of tho
buckwhcat tells another story. The plant
has two kinds of blossoms, differing In tho
length OF the stamens and pistils In one
flower tho pistil is divided into three parts
at tho top and stands above tho pollen
pouches which lilo at the base of the pistils.
In tho Other kind of flower tho opposite
arrangement Is seen, with tho pistils low
and tho stamons long. The boo visiting
the flowers for the honey, which is secretcd
In tho eight yellow glands at the base of
the stamens, has part of it's body busted
with pollen from tho short stamons and
another part from tho long stamens. At
tho Same timo he brushes tho pollen of
each upon tho receptive tips of pistils of
corresponding lengths. BY this arrange
ment close fertilization is checked.
Wheat is q peculiar seed. Tho humble
ancestor of tho wheat is said to have been
n ryyn rfic1
passed before wheat attained its present
high state of development. 1t is bisex-
ual, close fertilizing plant. In the various
parts of grain OF wheat in tho layers,
scales, tissues, coils, coats, teguments and
membranes lie its richness of gluten, starch
and albuminoids, which arc clements of
good -four.
There are n few secrets which seed
will not reveal. 1t will not Indicate how
large plant will DO or what Is its color.
Sweet peas look just alike, yet some will
yield white, some pink and others purple
flowers. One poppy seed will produce
scarlet enchantress, all silk and fame.
while in the small body of another is folded
up a curled pink or white beauty. The
poppy has an interesting seed vessel, which
contains an almost innuinerable number
of seeds, yet not to be compared In multi
tude with tho seed of some other plants.
An English scientist says that 1t requires
l,Ol2 tobacco seeds to weigh one grain,
and single plant produces $50, 600 seeds.
This Is small number, too, as compared
with an orchid, which produces "A, 0O0, 900
seeds, each ono Of which requires about 90
grains Of pollen to fertlize it,
There arc seeds rich in odor, such as tho
vanilla pod. 1t is produced on vino be-
longing to tho orchid family, which has q
long, flcshy stem and aerial rootlets
These attach themselves to trees or other
objects for support. Tho grcenish white
flowers form axillary spikclcts. The
Mexican vanilla plant bears abundant
flowers, but 1t is necessary in order to
secure good crop to fertilize them artia-
cially. a sharp stick is used TO convey
the pollen from tho nnthcrs to the pistil.
An expert can fcrtiliZe 200 flowers In one
day, but as the blossoms do not open
simultaneously the work Is tedious. No
doubt tho women and children who do
most of tho artificial fertilization would
welcome tho advent of some insect pre-
pared to do this work for them.
The chocolate tree has q useful bean in
closed in hard, feathery shell. Instead of
growing at the apex of the branches, it
grows on tho trunk and base of the pri-
mary branches, where it is well protected
from sun and storm.
Figs, very curiously, have their flowers
inside. Each pistillate blossom has an
ovary which ripens into a minute nut.
This is the seed or truo fruit, the fleshy
part being only the stem or receptacle Of
the ovaries. just as in tho case of the
strawberry, the ovaries arc placed on tho
outside of the receptacle. Figs rise in the
form OF little buds directly from tho joints
OF the tree. The Romans thought that
Bacchus, god of plenty and joy, derived
his size and strength from eating this
sccdy fruit The sacred fig of the cast Is