MICROSCOPE AND AGRICULTURE 



whether we are interested in seed testing or not. 

 The corn buttercup and the wild carrot have curious 

 spined seeds; those of the larkspur when magnified 

 appear to be studded with little shreds of paper. 

 White and red campion, have kidney shaped seeds 

 studded with warts and so similar to one another 

 that the microscopist who can distinguish one from 

 the other may consider himself something of an 

 expert. Spurrey has lens shaped seeds with raised 

 equator-like rims. Evening primrose seeds are 

 curious because they are found in all sorts of shapes. 

 The seeds of rib-wort plantain resemble miniature 

 date seeds, others resemble minute bananas, some 

 are perfectly round, others almost square; some 

 have smooth shining surfaces which look as though 

 they had been artificially polished, others again are 

 wrinkled and deeply furrowed; but, most curious 

 of all the common seeds are those of the cornflower, 

 they resemble nothing so much as little shaving- 

 brushes, with bright yellow bristles. Many profit- 

 able hours may be spent in studying the seeds of 

 our common native plants, both wild and culti- 

 vated. 



There are two specially obnoxious plants whose 

 seeds may be mixed with agricultural seed, to the 

 dismay of the farmer. We refer to Broomrape and 

 Dodder, both of them unable to earn their own 

 living and depending for their existence on the 

 robbing of other plants. Broomrape usually at- 

 taches itself to the roots of Hazel, Poplar or Beech 

 and steals its food therefrom, but its fleshy pink 



180 



i 



