36 AGRICULTURE 



Cotton Plant. Let us follow in detail the life history of a cotton 

 plant. It is a pretty and interesting plant, which less than two 

 hundred years ago was grown as an ornament in flower gardens. 

 Now it is one of our chief agricultural crops. It is a good plant 

 with which to begin our study of agricultural plants on account of 

 its perfect and conspicuous blossom, its regular habits of growth, 



GERMINATING COTTON : STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT 



and the way in which man has influenced Nature in its develop- 

 ment. 



Seed Development. Cut open a cotton seed and examine it 

 carefully. Wrapped in a hard covering or hull are a germ, or 

 minute plant, and food to support the plant until it can put forth 

 roots and get food for itself from the soil. 



How can we help the little plant come forth from the seed ? It 

 must have help from outside. We know that we may keep seeds 

 year after year, and they never develop into plants. To make 



