SUMMARY OF CORN 321 



to carry water and food. The Leaves are the pari of the 



plant where most of the vital processes are carried on. 

 The vital processes which occur in the leaf are respiration, 

 photo-synthesis, or the making of food, excretion, and 

 assimilation. 



The bean flower contains the organs necessary for re- 

 production. A seed is formed when the nucleus of a 

 pollen grain unites with the nucleus of the egg eel] in tin- 

 ovule. The fruit of the bean is the pod which contains 

 the seeds. The bean depends upon insects for cross- 

 pollination. 



The raising of beans is an important industry. Beans 

 probably once grew wild, but now they are widely culti- 

 vated. Their chief value as food is due to the large amount 

 of protein in the seed. 



A bean plant which has successfully completed its life 

 work has added to the sum total of the solid matter on 

 earth, and has left stored-up material which may be used 

 either as food for animals or for the new plant which 

 the seed contains. The plant has added to the supply of 

 oxygen in the air, and by decomposition through the aid 

 of bacteria leaves the soil richer in nitrogen. 



SUMMARY OF THE CORN 



The corn is a typical monocotyledonons plant. Food for 

 the embryo is stored at one side of the grain. This embryo 

 is supplied with food prepared in a modified cotyledon. 

 A corn plant has many roots, all of about the same size. 

 which srather for it water and inorganic matter and hold 

 the plant in the soil. In addition to the regular loots, 

 there are prop-roots. The leaves of coin have parallel 

 veins and clasping bases. The leaves perform most of the 

 vital processes of the plant. The stem has a hard rind and 



