STUDY OF FRUITS AND SEEDS. 249 



the thick modified storing cotyledons. Or, what is better, 

 the teacher might dissect after soaking in water for some 

 time a seedling of the Sycamore, exhibiting the long coiled 

 cotyledons, the radicle, and plumule. Examination in this 

 way of other seeds, e.g. the Ash, or Maize, will show that 

 the parts seen in the young seedling are present in some 

 form in the seed, and that in most cases a food store 

 can be demonstrated in addition. 



The same points should also be demonstrated by growing 

 the soaked seedlings in glass cylinders (lamp chimneys) 

 or in glass jars. Place the seeds between the glass and 

 blotting-paper kept in position against the glass by filling 

 the chimney with damp sawdust or moss. In this experi- 

 ment a series of stages should be drawn showing the order 

 in which the parts appear, the downward direction of 

 growth of radicle, upward of plumule, bent form of 

 plumule, etc. 



By modifying the conditions of this simple experiment 

 in various ways the teacher should prove the conditions 

 required for successful germination, viz. living seed, mois- 

 ture, air, heat. By growing in light and darkness the 

 relation to light may also be shown. The teacher might 

 prepare the pupils for the result of such an experiment by 

 reminding them of the conditions under which seeds 

 germinate in nature, i.e. in the soil (in darkness). The 

 relation to the soil should also be made out, by showing 

 how after a time (usually) growth stops when seeds are 

 germinated out of the soil. A further suitable experiment 

 is that of growing a plant from the seed in a culture solu- 

 tion containing the mineral salts usually found in the soil. 



The teacher desiring to develop experimental work with 

 seedlings will find a large number of experiments detailed 

 in Professor Cavers' Plant Biology (Olive). 



