458 NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 



The Dvrarfage of Beans by Cutting the Seeds. 



Experiments have been made by growing " Saddleback Wax ''^ 

 beans from seeds that had been cut through shortwise, so that the- 

 food substance was reduced one-half. This can be done by first 

 soaking the beans until they are softened, when they cut easily ; and 

 of the two halves, one will contain the seed-bud (plumule) and the- 

 other is made up of the free ends of the seed-leaves (cotyledons). If 

 one is in doubt as to which is the bud end, the entire lot of halves 

 can be planted ; of course only the portions containing the stem and' 

 root will grow. Such halved beans, when planted in parallel rows; 

 with the whole beans, will demonstrate that they will germinate a 

 little quicker than the normal beans, doubtless due to the greater- 

 ease in taking up the content of water. The plants from whole- 

 beans, however, soon pass the plants from the halved seeds, and in- 

 the course of three weeks are in every way larger. At the time when 

 the former plants are in bloom, the others are only showing small 

 buds. The plants from whole beans produced stems twenty-four 

 inches high, while the halved beans gave plants only fourteen inches 

 in height. 



This experiment indicates a line of work to reduce pole beans of 

 the common and lima sorts to bush varieties and any other plants, 

 the dwarfage of which may result in plants of increased value. 



In the second place, it emphasizes the value of a large amount of 

 food substance in the seed and the importance of selecting those that 

 are well provided in this respect. Large seeds other things being 

 equal, are superior for plant production, because they have a larger 

 percentage of material for the plant to use while getting started in 

 the soil and air. 



A similar study was made of corn, in which it was found that a 

 large part of the starchy material may be removed, and the embryo, 

 if uninjured, will begin growth much quicker than in a whole grain. 

 It teaches the lesson of the advantage of rapid access of water to the- 

 center of the seed, and suggests that for large, hard seeds it may be^ 

 practicable to slightly mutilate the outer portion, so that imbibitioRi 

 may be materially hastened. 



