THE SEED 47 



give them an abundance of water. In removing the plants 

 from the seed bed avoid injury to the roots, and in resetting 

 them pack the soil firmly about the roots so that they will 

 quickly take hold of the soil. Usually shading of the plants 

 for a day or so to prevent withering after transplanting is 

 important. The plants should be set in the soil nearly up 

 to the first leaf, which enables them to take root more deeply 

 and thus to be better able to withstand drought. In the trans- 

 planting of seedlings to the open, after they have attained 

 some size, account must be taken of the loss of a part of the 

 root system. The balance between the leaves and the roots 

 is now broken. It is apparent that in transplanting some 

 roots are always lost, which causes the leaf surface to be in 

 excess of that of the root system. For this reason it is always 

 advisable to reduce the leaf surface, so that it will be in pro- 

 portion to the root system, thus maintaining the equilibrium 

 or the balance of the plant as near as possible. From one- 

 fourth to one-half of the leaf surface is usually removed. 

 Where it is possible, it is usually never advisable, to trans- 

 plant seedlings immediately after a rain, because the ground 

 is then in a poor condition, and it cannot be satisfactorily 

 firmed about the roots of the plant. The baking of the soil 

 and the formation of a hard crust is the result when working 

 with a soil that is too wet. After transplanting the ground 

 should be thoroughly cultivated at the first opportunity. A 

 mulch of dry soil should be maintained over the surface. 



Sometimes plants are grown and transplanted into small 

 pots. Thumb pots, the smallest size, are selected for the 

 first transplanting and later the plants are gradually shifted 

 to larger sizes. The soil should be comparatively rich, the 

 aim being at this time to develop, as soon as possible, a 

 compact root system before transplanting in the field. Pots 

 are used in order that a severe check to the plant will be 

 avoided. 



REVIEW QUESTIONS. 



1. W T hat three parts compose a seed? 



2. What is germination? What two stages mark the beginning of 



germination. 



3. Name three external requisites for germination. 



4. What function has water on the germination of a seed? 



