PLANT FOOD IN SEEDS. 3 



These portions are known respectively as 

 I'lnniule and radicle. There thus exists in the 

 seed a minute plant with rudimentary root, 

 stem and leaves. When seeds are placed under 

 suitable conditions these rudimentary organs 

 grow and the seed is said to germinate. 



PLANT FOOD IN SEEDS. 



1. The first stages of germination take 

 place at the expense of the store of plant food 

 which exists in every seed. In the case of the 

 bean, which has just been examined, the store 

 of plant food is contained in the thickened 

 seed-leaves. If some germinating beans, grow- 

 ing in soil, are observed from day to day, it 

 will be seen that the seed-leaves gradually 

 become smaller and smaller and finally shrivel 

 away. A great many plants with which we 

 are familiar have their supply of plant food 

 for germination stored away in the seed-lea \ ee 

 tins, for instance, is the case with all the peas 

 and beans, with cabbage, raddish, lettuce, 

 pumpkin, squash, cucumber, lime, orange, 



to, nutmeg and many others. 



2. But there are many seeds in which 

 the store of plant food for germination is not 

 contained in the seed-leaves, nor in any other 

 part of tln> small plant let which is in the seed, 

 but exists* as a separate store outside the 



