Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1909-07-30

plUmulc, Il tiny EEAN fLANl.
bunch OF leaves So small that you
may have difficulty in making them
out further on. at the end Of the
bean. is tAr stubby root, or raGicle. |
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 fatter. The
hilum is at the pointed end, and the
plumule is SO small that you may not
be able to see 1t 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 fleshy
seed leaves.
New let us look at Il different kind
Of n seed. Take 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, flinty substance
and in part of n white, mealy layer. A
large part of the front Of the kernel is
taken up by the soft, oily germ.
Look ut 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 cotylcdon in corn instead Of
two, as IN the other seeds you have
examined. If you will take a cOtyledOn
Of a corn plant that has been left In
warm place until 1t 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 1t IS
not q part Of the plant itself. 1t Is OF
very great use t. ii, as we shall see.
The little plant when it begins to
grow must have food At first it has
no roots to get this feed from the soil,
so 1t must get its nourishment from
part Of the ECrncl 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. fishy 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-
bic form. This Is accomplished by
means of ferments called engines. If
you will put 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 know
that a seed will not terminate in cold
ground. and II you VIII put some
beans In q glass Of water and leave
them for several days you will find
that they will not terminate, no mar
ter how warm they are kept. becaus,
they cannot get air. The reason Is that
without both air and warmth the en-
Zymes cannot prepare the food for the
plant, and If 1t cannot get food OF
course ii cannot grow.
After the plant has started to grow
the seed coat IS no longer of any use
to II. In some plants. such as corn
the little plant finds It's way out very
easily. The little pumpkin plant. witt
its heavy coat. has harder time In
deed, were Ii not for Il little contriv
ance with which nature has provided
1t it could not get out ut ali This is {
tiny hook on the lower end IF tn,
seed. This hook catches on the end OF
the seed coat and peelS it back a.
neatly as You take off your coat
Watch for this in n terminating pump
kin or squash seed and see IL you can
not notice it, In some seeds. like hick
ory nuts. the plant Is unable TO get ou
until the seed coat is or. lled by tn.
frost or in some other way.
We have seen that a seed cannot
start TO grow unless it has moisture
warmth and air. 1t not only needs
these, but 1t needs them In the proper
proportions, In a light. sandy sol