2 AGRICULTURE. 



seed appears to be the most important part of this plant ; its 

 life passes on through the seed. We therefore begin our 

 study of plants with the seed. 



Many other plants of the field, like the oat, sprout, grow, 

 form seed and die in one season (Annuals). Some others, 

 such as carrots and turnips, do not ibim seed unless left in 

 the ground for a second season (Biennials). Then their roots 

 and stalks die. There are others, such as fruit trees, nut- 

 bearing trees, grape vines, that form seed year by year, but still 

 keep on living (Perennials). 



Make a list of the plants of the farm and garden under these three 

 classes : Annuals, Biennials and Perennials. 



SHAPE AND SIZE OF SEEDS. The seeds of the same kind of 

 plants are very much alike in shape and size, but the seeds 

 of oats, wheat, barley, corn, peas, beans, turnips, pumpkins, 

 apples, red clover, and timothy all differ. So do the seeds of 

 the grasses and of the weeds. Some are ball-shaped like peas, 

 some are long and pointed like oats, some are flat like pump- 

 kins, some are three-sided like buckwheat and beech nuts. 

 And there are many other forms ; in fact, there is a different 

 form for every different kind of seed. 



One seed may send up two or more stalks, but one stalk never grows 

 from more than one reed. Find out how many grains of wheat there are 

 on a single stalk ; how many seeds there are on a dandelion head, and 

 how many grains of corn will be grown from one seed of corn. 



Get a number of small glass bottles about two inches long. Collect the 

 seeds of grains, of grasses, and of weeds. In the summer and fall gather 

 these seeds from the growing plants, in the winter get them from the bins. 

 Put these separately in the bottles, write the name of each kind on a piece 

 of paper and fasten it on the bottle. You can in time get a collection 

 of all the principal seeds that are to be found growing in your locality, and 

 you can then study them. After a while you can write on each its botani- 

 cal name also. 



THE STRUCTURE OF THE SEED. Wheat and oats are too small 

 for us to take apart easily. Let us take a large seed such as a 

 hickory nut. First the rough outer husk is taken off, then we 



