924 Rural School Leaflet. 



the seed form a part of the plant and come above the ground Hke the 

 bean ? What becomes of the meat of the seed after growth has started ? 



7. Does the little root grow singly — a tap root — or throw out spread- 

 ing branches or divide into many thread-like fibres? On what part 

 of the root do the hair-like feeding rootlets show? 



8. If the sprouting seed is in a sunny window, does the leaf-shoot 

 seek the light or turn from it? How does the root behave to the light? 



9. Do your seedlings seem to like or endure warmth well? Does a 

 change of temperature seem to hurt them? Do you think that a late 

 frost would damage a crop of early peas very much if the soil had been 

 made fine before planting so that it could snuggle closely about the 

 roots of the seedlings and protect the delicate feeding roots? 



10. State the conditions of soil, moisture and temperature that 

 have given you the thriftiest seedlings. 



Lesson IL — Stem and Leaf 



Facts for teacher's use. — The first leaves of the pea put forth no ten- 

 drils but otherwise look like the later ones. They grow alternately 

 on the stalk and are compounded of from three to seven leaflets, one 

 to three of which will have changed their form and become tendrils, 

 these being always at the top of the leaf. The stalk of the pea-vine is 

 very tough but not woody enough to support itself so it continually 

 reaches after something to which its tendrils may cling. The stalk is 

 more or less angled, some varieties being only slightly so, but the sweet 

 pea has a winged and flattened stalk, the wings being thin and green 

 like the leaves. The leaf-stems differ from the stalk in being slightly 

 flattened and grooved on the upper side, thus forming a channel down 

 which rain or dew is carried to the central stem. The big clasping 

 stipules at the base of the leaves also make cups to hold water and pea- 

 pickers know how slow the vines are to dry after a shower or heavy 

 dew and expect the ground to be always moist in a thrifty pea patch 

 while the green seeds are growing. Stem and leaf are sweet to the 

 taste and cattle are very fond of green pea-vines. 



Observations by pupils. — 



1. Do the first leaves which unfold from the sweet-pea look like 

 the later ones? Are pea-leaves simple or compound? Do they grow 

 opposite each other on the stalk or alternately? 



2. Is the stem of the plant round or angled or smooth and winged? 

 Is it solid or hollow? Does the stem of the sweet pea resemble that 

 of the garden pea? Are their leaves alike in shape? 



