174 



MORE ABOUT STARTING NEW PLANTS 



123. The Seedling. A young plant that comes from a 



seed is called a seedling. 

 This name is likewise 

 applied even to many 

 mature plants started 

 from seeds, if such plants 

 are commonly propagated 

 in other ways also. The 

 term seedling apple, for 

 example, distinguishes 

 an apple plant started 

 from the seed, from a 

 plant started from 

 shoots. 



A young seedling at 



GOOD ALFALFA SEED. 

 Before testing. 



first depends for food on the material stored up within its 

 seed coats. A critical 

 period in its early life 

 comes when it has ex- 

 hausted its own food 

 material, and has not 

 yet formed enough leaf- 

 age and rootage to sup- 

 ply fully the demands 

 of its groivih. During 

 this period a few days 

 or longer the seedling 

 is very tender and deli- 

 cate. If planted too 

 deep, it may find the 

 soil around its roots too 

 cold or lacking in fresh 

 air. If planted too near 



ALFALFA SEEDS AFTER TESTING. 



Note that some have not sprouted at all, 

 while others have sprouts an inch long. 



the surface, it may suffer from lack of moisture. The 



