Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-02-06

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form. This is one Of the reasons why
seeds Will not terminate without wa
fer The other reason Is that the wa
| ter is needed to soften the seed coat so
! the plant can get out. But this starch
| and oil will not dissolve in water
| without first being changed to solu-
| bic form This is accomplished by
means of ferments called engines. IF
! you will put piece of starch on your
| tongue for q moment you will find that
| 1t will begin to taste sweet. This is
because the ferments in the saliva arc
| changing it to sugar. The engines In
| the endosperm work in much the same
way. changing the starch and oil to
sugar and other soluble substances
These are dissolved by the water and
70 to feed the growing plant.
These engines cannot work without
mir ard warmth You already know
that seed will not Gernlinatc In cold
ground, and IL you will put some
beams in glass OF water and leave
them for several days you will find
that they win not terminate. no mat
ter how warm they are kept, because
they cannot get air. The reason is that
without both air and warmth the en-
Zymes cannot prepare the feed for the
plant. and If it cannot get food of
course 1t cannot grow.
After the plant lils started to grow
the seed coat is no longer of any use
to IT. In seine plants. such as corn,
hn In MIA r1c WOW
easily. The little pumpkin plant. with
Its heavy coat. has a harder time. In
deed, were it not for little contriv-
ance with which nature has provided
1t 1t could not get out at all. This is
tiny hook on the lower end Of the
seed. This hook catches on the end of
the seed coat and peels it back as,
neatly as you take Off your coat.
Watch for this in a terminating pump
, kin or squash seed and see il you can
not notice it. In some seeds, like hick-
DRY nuts, the plant is unable to get out
until the seed coat is cracked by the
frost or in some ether way.
We have seen that seed cannot
start to grow unless it has moisture
these, but it needs them in the proper
proportions. In light. sandy soil
moisture is often lacking, and the
seed is slow in terminating for this
reason. In such soil growth will
start more quickly il the soil is pack
ed tightly around the seed. The seed
will soak up moisture more rapidly if
4. ;..1> - r,eI Ill
tact with it on all sides. Packing
down the soil in the row with the
fiat side of hoe or with board or
with the broad, fiat planter wheels in
the field helps the seed to absorb
moisture and SO hastens termination.
In heavy, sticky clay soil there is
usually plenty of moisture. but air is
often lacking. If such soil is pack
ed down too tightly over the seed the
particles are forced so closely together
that very little air can get through,
and hence termination is delayed. In
a soil of this kind seeds should never
be planted very deeply.
The most important factor Of all is
warmth A cold soil may have
moisture and air in exactly the right
amounts, and still the seed will not
start to develop. Even If it does be-
gin to grow progress will be slow, and
the plant will have weak, unhealthy
look. 1t is of the utmost Importance
to wait until the seed bed is warm
before planting the seed. Many seeds
which would rot or produce only !,
spindling stalks if planted in cold
soil will grow into strong plants II
planting is delayed until the soil has
become warm Any seed will make a
stronger, better producing plant If it
has warm seed bed to start from.
The rapidity with which soil will
warm up in the spring depends great
deal upon the nature of the soil itself.
A sandy soil warns up quickly be-
cause the air can get down into it
easily, thus warming it all the way
through at once. Another reason for
the higher temperature Of sandy soil
is it's greater dryness. AS long as wa
ter is evareratins rapidly the ground
will be ct.'d. The process of evapora-
ton requires great deal of heat.
We can help the soil to become
warm in the spring. then, by doing all
that we can to check evaporation. Did
you eyer Ma.ice how quickly the sur