The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1909-01-28

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. It 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 feshy
seed leaves.
Now let us look at different kind
Of seed. Take a kernel of corn that
has been soaked for several hours and
way. The back Of the grain is made
up in part Of a 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. If you will take a cotyledon
Of 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 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 1t has
no roots to get this food from the soil,
SO It must get it's nourishment from
some other source. This source Is the
part Of the kernel outside Of the germ
itself, or the endosperm. 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, fshy seed leaves.
This food material consists largely
Of starch and oil. Neither Of these can
be used by the developing plant with.
out first being changed to a liquid.
form. This is one Of the reasons why.
seeds will not terminate without wa
ter. 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-
BILE form. This is accomplished by
means of ferments called engines. If
you will put q piece Of starch on your
tongue for moment you will find that
1t will begin to taste sweet. This Is
because the ferments In the saliva are
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
go to feed the growing plant.
These engines cannot work without
air and warmth. You already kn0Y
that seed will not terminate IN coz
ground, and II you will put som4
beans in glass Of water and leave