48 JBotan^ 



roots will trace strange figures upon it, which you 

 can see when the box is emptied and the marble is 

 washed. 



Under the trees in March we find many interesting 

 examj^les of seed-growth. The feeding or seed-leaves 

 of the young plant are called cotyledons. All flower- 

 ing plants have cotyledons ; the plants whose leaves 

 have dividing or radiate veins, and whose stems are 

 woody, or at least not hollow^ have two cotyledons ; 

 grasses, reeds, corn and other grains, lilies, bamboos, 

 all plants with hollow stems and the leaf-veins 

 I)arallel have one cot^dedon, while pines and trees 

 of their class have from three to twelve cotyledons, 

 always set in a circle. 



The seed leaves of the pumpkin and squash grow 

 in pairs, oval-shaped, not very thick, and have a 

 sweetish taste ; they have stored up sugar for the 

 baby plant. An odd thing about these cotjdedons 

 is, that having fed the new plant until it has a good 

 root and plumule, or top, and a little pair of tendrils, 

 the cotyledons, instead of dying, change their shape, 

 and become regularly formed leaves. 



The acorn affords us a nice study in plant growth. 

 Soak an acorn, peel it ; you see a seam about the 

 nut, lengthwise ; split it here with care ; at the tip 

 you find a pair of tiny white 2:)oints ; these are the 

 sprout or new plant. The force of life in these is 



