THE AWAKENING OF THE SEED 9 



Place the seeds in water and heat (Fig. 15) ; stir the 

 water to remove the bubbles that form on the seeds; 

 keep the seeds submerged; if necessary, hold them 

 under water by a piece of glass or wire netting or by 

 placing them in a wire spring (see Fig. 16)~. Do you 

 find openings: how many and where located? Test 

 as many seeds as you can in this way. (The Squash, 

 Walnut, Pecan and Brazil-nut give striking results; 

 the Castor-bean is apt to be somewhat puzzling; the 

 Filbert seems 

 to have a good 

 many openings; 

 do they pass 



thrOUffh the 16 ' An arran s ement for holding seeds while under water. 



shell into the cavity?) Many seed -covers become 

 cracked in the course of time ; distinguish between such 

 cracks, which may occur anywhere, and openings which 

 occur constantly in the same place. 1 



If any of the seeds do not yield bubbles when 

 placed in warm water it does not necessarily mean that 

 there is no opening; it may simply denote a lack of 

 air in the seed. Such seeds may be further tested by 

 soaking thoroughly, wiping the surface dry and squeez- 

 ing to see where water is pressed out. Or, in the 

 case of nuts, etc., any part of the shell where an 



1 Where the cover consists of an outer and an inner part (i. e., seed-coat 

 proper plus the seed-case), as in the Walnut. Pecan and Filbert, the outer por- 

 tion is of principal interest but the inner one may also be tested after the outer 

 is removed. The shell of the Brazil-nut is a true seed-coat. 



