CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I 



PAGES 



INTRODUCTION 1-13 



Close observation, 1 ; The difference between art and 

 science, 2 ; Environment, 3 ; What is plant culture ? 4 ; 

 Domestic or domesticated plants or animals, 5 ; Culture 

 aims to improve nature's methods, 6 ; Culture deals with 

 life, 7 ; What is life ? 8 ; Vigor and feebleness, 9 ; Hardi- 

 ness and tenderness, 10 ; Health and disease, 11 ; The 

 cellular structure of living beings, 12; Protoplasm, 13; 

 Keserve food, 14 ; Growth, 15 ; Reproduction, 16 ; Re- 

 production either sexual or non-sexual, 17; Heredity 

 and variation, 18 ; The principle of selection, 19 ; Breed- 

 ing, 20 ; Classification, 21 ; Scientific names, 22 ; Crosses 

 and hybrids, 23 ; The theory of evolution, 24 ; Para- 

 sites, 25. 



CHAPTER II 

 THE SEED, GERMINATION AND THE PLANTLET . . . 14-33 



Seeds absorb water, 26 ; The rate at which seeds absorb 

 water, 27. Germination: What is germination? 28; 

 Moisture essential to germination, 29 ; Warmth essen- 

 tial to germination, 30 ; Free oxygen essential to germi- 

 nation, 31 ; Prompt germination important, 32 ; Com- 

 pacting the soil, 33 ; Warm soil, 34 ; Soaking seeds, 35 ; 

 Cracking seed-case, 36 ; Failure to germinate, 37 ; Seed 

 testing, 38 ; The time required for germination, 39. The 

 Plantlet : The hypocotyl, 40 ; The seed-case in germina- 

 tion, 41 ; Seeds of the pumpkin family, 42 ; Some plant- 

 lets need help to burst the seed-cases, 43 ; The roots, 44 ; 

 ix 



