The Growth of Seeds 



31 



roots. They will go through 

 their short lives in one season 

 and will show us quite soon 

 stages that it will take the acorns 

 months to reach, and so we are 

 going to grow the two kinds of 

 seeds side by side. 



We now want to be able to 

 watch them growing, and for 

 this we must put them in glasses 

 so that the roots will have room 

 to grow, but will not be hidden 

 as they would be if we planted 

 the seeds in the earth. The best 

 kind for this purpose are the 

 acorn glasses which can be 

 bought at most large china 

 shops for two or three pence. 

 If you cannot get one of these 

 you will be able to manage with 

 a specimen glass or a test tube 

 if you arrange a paper funnel at 

 the top so that, although the 

 root can get through, the seed 

 cannot slip in. The glasses 

 should be nearly filled with 

 water, so that the tips of the 

 roots just touch it when the 

 seeds are put in roots down- 

 wards. 



If instead of putting them 

 this way up you allowed your 

 seeds to lie on their sides you 



Fig. 18. Broad Bean plant 

 21 days old. 



