Seeds for the Garden 141 



in seeds be killed? Why are seeds sometimes treated with hot 

 water or formaldehyde before planting ? When is a seed "viable " ? 

 Name two methods of testing the viability of seeds. 



Things to Do and Observe 



1 . To study the parts of flowers. Examine flowers of the different 

 garden plants. Learn to recognize the parts. Which have sta- 

 mens and pistils present in the same flower ? Which have them 

 in different flowers? Do flowers having only stamens produce 

 fruit ? 



2. To study pollination. Watch the insect visitors to flowers. 

 What are they seeking? How do they cause pollination? Ob- 

 serve how the pollen of corn is distributed. 



3. To observe the germination of pollen. The pollen of some 

 plants will germinate on a drop of sugar solution. Add i heaping 

 teaspoonful of cane sugar to 10 teaspoonfuls of water. When 

 the sugar is all dissolved, place a drop of the solution on a clean 

 glass slide. Scatter pollen from a freshly opened anther on 

 the drop. To prevent drop from drying, lay slide across 

 top of a small dish containing water and then invert and place a 

 larger dish so that it incloses both slide and small dish. 



Pollen of the paper white narcissus, which may be grown during 

 winter, and of the sweet pea or Easter lily, which may be had 

 at florists', germinate well in this solution. Pollen of the apple 

 may be used in spring, and that of the tomato and beans during 

 summer. 



The pollen of many plants germinates poorly if at all on sugar 

 solutions unless agar is added to make a jelly. l Place \ teaspoon- 

 ful of powdered agar (weighing about i gram) and 2\ teaspoonfuls 

 of table sugar (weighing about 10 grams) in 20 teaspoonfuls of 

 water (weighing about 100 grams). Heat to gentle boiling until 

 agar and sugar are dissolved. When cool, the mixture is like 

 jelly. To use, gently heat until mixture becomes liquid and then 

 place a drop on a glass slide. The drop soon cools and becomes 



1 Agar-agar may be obtained from any of the many houses which 

 deal in scientific apparatus and supplies; of these Eimer and Amend 

 of New York City may be mentioned. 



