CHAPTER IL. 
THE ROUND OF PLANT LIFE 
The earliest stages of plant growth occur in the seed, 
hence this is an appropriate place to commence our study. 
We will first consider 
Section I. THe BEHAVIOR OF SEEDS TowARD WATER 
96. Seeds Absorb Water when Placed in Contact with 
it. If we fill a bottle with air-dry beans, then pour in all 
the tepid water the bottle will contain, taking care to shake 
out the air bubbles, and place the bottle in a warm room, 
the beans will soon swell until they have pressed each other 
quite out of shape, forcing no water from the bottle in the 
meantime. This shows that the beans have absorbed the 
water and have swollen in consequence. This quality of 
absorbing water by contact, at ordinary temperatures, is 
possessed to a greater or less extent by most seeds, and in- 
deed by nearly all air-dry vegetable material. It is un- 
necessary that the seeds be covered with water to enable 
them to absorb it. If in contact with any moist medium, as 
a damp cloth or damp earth, they will absorb moisture and 
swell. 
27, The Rate at which Seeds Absorb Water depends 
upon several conditions, as 
(a) — The water content of the medium with which they are 
in contact. If we place one lot of beans in water, a second 
in wet earth and a third in slightly damp earth, we shall find 
