350 HOW CROPS GROW. 



The first process of development, wherein the young 

 plant commences to manifest its separate life, and in 

 which it is shaped into its proper and peculiar form, is 

 called germination. 



The GENERAL PROCESS and CONDITIONS of GERMIN- 

 ATION are familiar to all. In agriculture and ordinary 

 gardening we bury the ripe and sound seed a little way 

 in the soil, and in a few days, or weeks, it usually sprouts, 

 provided it finds a certain degree of warmth and moisture. 



Let us attend somewhat in detail first to the phenom- 

 ena of germination and afterward to the requirements of 

 the awakening seed. 



THE PHENOMENA OF GERMINATION". 



The student will do well to watch with care the various 

 stages of the act of germination, as exhibited in several 

 species of plants. For this purpose a dozen or more 

 seeds of each plant are sown, the smaller, one-half, the 

 larger, one inch deep, in a box of earth or sawdust, kept 

 duly warm and moist, and one or two of each kind are 

 uncovered and dissected at successive intervals of 12 

 hours until the process is complete. In this way it is 

 easy to trace all the visible changes which occur as the 

 embryo is quickened. The seeds of the kidney-bean, 

 pea, of maize, buckwheat, and barley, may be employed. 



We thus observe that the seed first absorbs a large 

 amount of moisture, in consequence of which it swells 

 and becomes more soft. We see the germ enlarging be- 

 neath the seed coats, shortly the integuments burst and 

 the radicle appears, afterward the plumule becomes 

 manifest. 



In all agricultural plants the radicle buries itself in. 



