Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1896-06-25
THE STUDY OF SEEDS.
INSTRUCTIVE INDOOR PAsTlME WITH
MICROSCOPIC AID.


Not Reveai-why do big Oaks From
Y,,t,e Acorns Grow?"-Interesting Fes-
tures OF Many Common Seeds.
Nature may be studied by the 1reside
an n collection OF various seeds, the small
est OF which requires a microscope to bring
ont the full beauty Of form and color. we
have been admiring the exquisite beauty
Of n seed of Panlownia imperiatis OF japan.
Under the microscope It suggests silver
insect with lacelike wings OF daintiest wed.
a common pink seed resembles piece OF
iron ore beautifully carved. Each portu-
lacca seed is a tiny silver shell, while the |
seed of "A begonia suggests nuggets OF pur-
ast gold Tobacco seeds, also, are gold col |
ored with pretty workings. A DIT OF Nh
olish sedge discloses "A pale sea green
sheath filed with plumed seed full OF
grace and beauty.
some of the most ordinary seeds tell
fairylike tales Here Is u brown apple seed
whose maturity WAS not accomplished
without special care Mother Nature has
onriously conceived that in cluster OF APP
nj, blossoms the central flower shall open
first. All around 1t Is a ring OF brilliant
unopened buds with the under surface OF
the petals most highly colored. This color
ing of the petals on the underside assists
il, the successful fertilization of the cen
trail flower. Thus the buds perform
healthful function which in other flowers
Is performed by older blossoms. The oen-
trail apple blossom is often the only one
which bears an apple. All the rest take
their chances. The more conspicuous
floral cluster the more certainly the bees
4. hau lnaFnAH thai
faded flowers have been already rified OF
honey. When the fruit appears, 1t Is first
the color of the leaves, which thus serve to
protect in order that the seed may ripen.
But when maturity is reached, one kind of
apple is painted with gold and another
| with carmine that they may not be taken
| and the seed disturbed
The curious three cornered seed OF the
buckwheat tells another story. The plant
| has two kinds OF blossoms, differing In the
| length of the stamens and pistils. In one
| flower the pistil is divided into three parts
/ Mt the top and stands above the pollen
| pouches which lie at the base of the pistils
| In the other kind of flower the opposite
arrangement Is seen, with the pistils low
and the stamens long. The bee visiting
the flowers for the honey, which Is secreted
in the eight yellow glands at the base OF
the stamens, has part of Its BODY dusteu
| with pollen from the short stamens ana
another part from the long stamens. Az
the same time he brushes the pollen OF
each upon the receptive tips OF pistils oil
corresponding lengths. BY this arrange
ment close fertilization Is checked.
Wheat is peculiar seed. The humble
ancestor of the wheat is said TO have been
dwarflsh grass. Long periods of time
passed before wheat attained Its present
high state of development. 1t Is bisex-
ual, close fertiliZing plant. In the various
parts of u grain of wheat in the layers
scales, tissues, cells, coats, teguments ana
membranes lie its richness OF gluten, starch
and albuminoids, which are elements OF
good flour.
There are "a few secrets which seed
will not reveal. 1t will not indicate how
large a plant will be or what is Its color.
Sweet peas look Just alike, yet some will
Weld white. some pink and others purple
flowers. One poppy seed will produce a
scarlet enchantress, all silk and flame,
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 innumerable number
of seeds yet not to be compared In multi
tude with the seed of some other plants
An English scientist says that 1t requires
: o. .0l2 tobacco seeds TO weigh one grain
and single plant produces 300, 600 seeds
: This is "A small number, too, as compared
with an orchid, which produces "A, OOO,O 0'
seeds, each one of which requires about q
1, grains OF pollen TO fertilize 1t.
as There are seeds rich In odor, such as TIL
b vanilla pod 1t is produced on vine be
II longing to the orchid family, which has
4. long. neshy stem and aerial rootlets
These attach themselves to trees or othe
objects for support The greenish whit
: flowers form axillary spikelets Tn
IL Mexican vanilla plant bears abundan
20 flowers but it Is necessary In order Z
secure a good crop to fertilize them artif
= cially. sharp stick Is used to conve
the pollen from the anthers to the pisti
An expert can fertilize 200 flowers In on
day, but az the blossoms do not ope
simultaneously the work is tedious. n
doubt the women and children who d
most of the artificial fertilization woul
| welcome the advent Of some insect pr
| pared to do this work for them.
The chocolate tree has useful bean II
closed In a hard, leathery shell. Instead I
growing at the apex Of the branches,
grows on the trunk and base Of the pr
mary branches, where it is well proteote
from sun and storm.
Figs, very curiously, have their fiowe
inside. Each pistillate blossom has a
ovary which ripens into minute nu
This is the seed OF true fruit, the hesf
part being only the stem or receptacle
the ovaries Just as in the case OF Il
strawberry, the ovaries are placed on q
outside of the receptacle Figs rise in Il
form of little buds directly from the join
Of the tree. The Romans thought tn
Bacchus, god Of plenty and joy, derive
his size and strength from eating tn
seedy fruit The sacred fig OF the east
not allowed to be vendod in the market.
The size of a seed seems to have nothii
TO do with the size of the tree or the pla
or the blossom There are self plantii
seeds. like the cranes bill, which use a
rows with which To get into the groun
In the wild clematis the pistil stalk !
mains attached TO the ovary, and inste
Of whitening IL grows, not only lengthe
ing. but becoming silky and feather
ready to catch the passing breeze. Hen
Ia | 20 .a fnnnH far frOm