176 NATURE STUDY 



Seed Food-supply. 



Facts : 



Whatever may be the form in which the food for the 

 little plant has been stored up for the winter, before it 

 is available it must be changed to sugar. This is accom- 

 plished by the action of a ferment, the other requisites 

 being moisture and warmth. 



Methods : 



Soak over night a quantity of barley. Plant it the 

 next day in damp sawdust. At the end of a few days 

 the roots will be about half an inch in length. Take 

 out half of the grain, when they have reached this stage, 

 wash away quickly the sawdust, spread them out, and 

 put them in an oven to dry. 



Allow the others to grow until the green leaves are 

 developed. Wash and dry. 



Give to the children some grains of ungerminated 

 barley, the dried germinated barley, and the seedlings. 



What is the seed food-supply in barley? How do 

 you know ? Taste it. 



Taste the germinated barley. What difference do you 

 notice ? What does this mean ? 



Taste the seedlings. What has become of the sugar ? 



Just the same thing happens with your own food. All 

 the starch is changed into sugar, a part of it in the 

 mouth. 



Germination : 



The seeds which were planted in January must by 

 this time have grown as much as they will, unless they 

 are planted in earth. This should be done. 



