Milford chronicle., 1909-09-10


plumule, a tiny BEAN PLANT.
bunch of leaves so small that you
may have difficulty in making them
out. Farther on. at the end of the
bean, is the stubby root. or radicle
These different parts are found in ev-
cry seed. no matter how small
Now that you have seen what is in
the bean. examine a pumpkin seed in
the same way. 1t is much the same
inside as the bean. only flatter The
hilum IS at the pointed end and the
plumule is so small that you may not
be able to see it at all. In these two
seeds there are only two main parts,
the seed coat and the little plant. BY
far the greater part Of the room inside
the seed coat is taken up by the heshy
seed leaves.
Now let US look at a different kind
of a seed. Take a kernel of corn that
has been soaked for several hours and
cut it in two lengthwise the narrow
way. The back of the grain is made
up in part of hard, finty substance
and in part Of white. mealy layer. A
large part of the front of the kernel is
taken up by the soft, oily germ.
Look at the cut section of the germ
carefully. The little plant can be
made out very plainly. The little
pointed stem which points upward and
outward is the cOtyledon. There is
only one cOtyledOn in corn instead Of
two, as in the other seeds you have
examined. II you will take cOtyledOn
Of a corn plant that has been left in a
warm place until it has commenced to
grow and cut it in two lengthwise you |
will see that the inside is packed with |
layers of tiny leaves ready to unfold |
as soon as their turn comes. This is |
the plumule. The other parts Of the
little corn plant you will be able to
make out with little trouble.
You have doubtless been wondering
what the rest Of the kernel, the part
back Of the germ, is for. While it Is
not a part of the plant itself, it is Of
very great use to it. as we shall see.
The little plant when it begins to
grow must have food. At first it has
no roots to get this food from the soil,
30 It must get its nOurishment from
some other source. This source is the
part Of the kernel outside Of the germ
Itself, or the enGosperm. In the pump
kin seed and the bean the endOsperm
and the cotyledons are the same-that
Is, the food material is stored in the
large. hshy seed leaves.
This food material consists largely
II starch and oil Neither Of these can
De used by the developing plant with
,ut first being changed to a liquid
'orm. This is one Of the reasons why
leeds will not germinate without wa
er. The other reason is that the wa
er is needed to soften the seed coat so
be plant can get out. But this starch
md oil will not dissolve in water
Without first being changed to a solu- :
lie form. This is accomplished by ,
means Of ferments called engines. If :
ou will put a piece Of starch on your ;
ongue for a moment you will find that !
. win begin to taste sweet. This Is :
ecause the ferments in the saliva are !,
hanging it to sugar. The engines in :,
he endOsperm work in much the same !
ray, changing the starch and oil to :
1gar and other soluble substances n
hese are dissolved by the water and =
0 to feed the growing plant b
These engines cannot work without \
II and warmth. You already know y
rat a seed will not germinate in cold a
round, and If you viii put some n
cans in a glass Of water and leave