2 NATURE TEACHING. 



the parts are more easily separated. One of 

 the simplest and most easily understood seeds 

 is that of any of the ordinary peas or beans. 

 An examination of a very young bean plant, 

 one which has just made its appearance above 

 the surface of the soil, will reveal the following 

 parts : two thick leaves (in the case of the 

 pigeon-pea and some others, these leaves do 

 not come above the surface of the soil) be- 

 tween which there is a very small leaf-bud with 

 minute leaves, whilst below there is a stem 

 which terminates in a root, the root itself 

 being branched. 



4. The parts of the young bean plant 

 should now be compared with a bean seed, 

 which has not germinated, but which has been 

 soaked for a few hours in water, in order to 

 soften it. The seed-coat will strip off without 

 difficulty, and it will then be found that that 

 which is enclosed by the seed-coat is easily 

 split into two halves and a little thought will 

 show that these two halves correspond to the 

 two thick leaves which have been spoken of 

 already. These leaves are called the cotyledons 

 or seed-leaves. Between the cotyledons there 

 will be seen a small curved body, one portion 

 of which, when the seed germinates, will be- 

 come the stem with leaves upon it, while the 

 remaining portion will develop into the root. 



