352 



STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



1 ho first 

 true leaf of wheat 

 peering above the 

 soil consists of 

 a closed sheath or 

 tube often with a 

 drop of water near 

 the top. 



In kernels of wheat that were planted, no matter whether one side or 

 which end was down, the first thing to appear above the surface was a 

 single, slender, nearly straight light green piece, abruptly 

 pointed and usually carrying one or more drops of water. 

 Like the pea the wheat kernel remains below the surface 

 where planted. 



When the light green portion of the sprouting wheat is 

 half an inch or a little more above the soil, if held with the 

 side to the window, one can see that below the tip a little 

 way, the color is darker green, and when up about an inch, 

 more or less, this darker green portion pushes a little way 

 out of the lighter portion. This light lower part is the first 

 true leaf and is a closed tube or sheath for nearly its whole 

 length. The greener portion pushing up out of the tube is 

 the second true leaf, and after it is two to three inches 

 high it unrolls from each edge and flattens out more or less becoming 

 twisted. 



The true leaves of beans, peas and buckwheat are more or less rough 

 and have a small framework crossing here and there, or, more properly 

 the veins, running into each other in maay places not unlike the threads of 

 a net while the leaves of the wheat are very narrow with framework 

 extending lengthwise. 



The kernels of buckwheat planted in the soil with the point down, are 

 shoved up big end first, with a crook-neck not far from the kernel, while 

 the kernels buried with the large end down or the side down, 

 first ehow above the surface a light-colored bow after 

 the manner of the bean. 



Like the bean, the buckwheat sends its seed-leaves above 

 the soil by a clean stem considerably lengthened, connect- 

 _ ng the roots below and the seed-leaves above. After 

 ^ coming out of the ground half an inch or more, the lower 

 part of the twisted seed-leaves begin to show and are of a 

 light green color, the hull still covering their tips. In 

 partially covered time the brown hull drops off and is found to be empty, as 

 by the hull. i\^q ^jpg Qf ^\^q tender seed-leaves apparently took in all of 



the starchy matter, and then the stem became erect and the seed leaves 

 spread apart, displaying a little bud between. The seed-leaves do not 

 match each other exactly as one hand of a person matches the other, but 

 the left side of each is larger than the right, giving the plantlet a peculiar 

 Appearance. 



Fier. 20. Seedling 

 of buckwheat with 

 seed-Jeaves still 



