1 6 Plants and their Ways in South Africa 



seeds may be planted in a frame having glass sides. Ask the 

 tinsmith to cut two pieces of galvanized iron the shape of 

 Fig. 23. Bend them along the dotted lines. Nail the piece 

 a-b to a board for support, and slip in on either side a piece 

 of glass. Discarded photographic plates are just the thing. 



Fig. 23. — Diagram for ends of glass 

 germinator. 



Fig. 24. — Seedlings show- 

 ing root hairs. 



Fig. 25.^ — Seedlings marked 

 to show the place of 

 greatest growth. 



We will call this the Glass Germinator. Fill with moist sand. 

 Thin cloth may be placed between the sand and the glass. 



Place the seeds in different positions. Notice how quickly 

 the roots will turn down and the stems bend upward. The 

 work of the roots is to be done down in the soil, and that 

 of the stems up in the light ; so the sooner they get into their 

 proper positions the better. 



Fine white hairs may be seen on the root and its branches 

 to within a short distance from the tip. As the root" pushes 

 on, the oldest ones are worn off, but new ones are constantly 



