PLANT STUDY l8l 



seeds or grains of barley on gauze or cheese cloth. The 

 material should be tied loosely over the top of a drinking 

 glass filled with water. Invert a saucer over the glass until 

 the roots of the germinating seeds reach the water in the 

 glass. This forms a moist chamber in which the seeds will 

 start readily. The logical continuation of the work thus 

 begun in the school is the home or school garden, in which 

 the planting and tending are done by the pupils under the 

 direction of the teacher. 



For the simpler work with flowers have the pupils bring 



to school the first wild flowers of the spring. The common 



names are written on the board with the 



name of the child who made the collection, 

 otudy 



By the end of the school year there will be 

 established a speaking acquaintance with the common wild 

 flowers. 



For pupils of the higher grades the work may be ex- 

 tended to the study of the parts of a perfect flower and the 

 uses of each part. Having familiarized themselves with 

 these, the problems of fertilization (pollination) and cross 

 fertilization and nature's methods for insuring these vital 

 processes are opened to the pupils. If possible, show the 

 growth of the pollen tube from the pollen grain as follows : 

 Place pollen of the sweet-pea in a ten per cent, sugar solu- 

 tion. This is made by mixing a teaspoonful of thick sugar 

 syrup with nine teaspoonfuls of water. Examine under 

 the low power of the microscope two or three times at inter- 

 vals of as many hours. Explain the significance of this 

 growth to the pupils : the pollen grain adheres to the sticky 

 surface of the stigma and sends its pollen tube down 

 through the style to the ovule in the ovary. The proto- 



