WHY PLANTS GROW II 



Classification of Plants. In the spring, as soon as 

 the young plants begin to come up, go out into the 

 garden and field and notice how many leaves are first 

 seen from the seed. In one list write the names of all 

 plants showing but a single leaf or sprout, and name 

 that list monocotyledons. In another list write the 

 names of all plants showing a pair of first leaves and 

 call these plants dicotyledons, and you will have begun 

 the systematic study of botany. If you are interested, 

 you will not wait for spring, but will want to begin 

 now, which you may do by planting all kinds of seeds 

 grown on the farm in sawdust in an old pan kept 

 in a light, warm place. You can then examine these 

 seeds from day to day and watch their growth. 



Germination. If you keep these seeds wet they will 

 grow well for a few days, and then they will wither 

 and die. Now, why is this? Because the little plant- 

 let lives on the food contained in the seed until this 

 food is all used up, and the plant has attained sufficient 

 size and strength to get its food from the soil. But it 

 cannot get sufficient food from the sawdust, and of 

 course it starves to death, just as a little pig would 

 starve if it were not given sufficient food. 



Why Plants Store Up Food. When asked why 

 plants store up so much food matter in seeds we 

 usually answer, "To furnish food for animals and 

 men." Nothing could be further from the truth. 

 Nature intended this food matter, not for man, but 

 for the little plantlets, found in the seeds, to use for 

 their own growth until they are large enough to get it 



