Frvdts and Seeds 11 



for whose sake all this food supply was garnered. 



Sometimes, when the mother trees are very 

 liberal to their children and the cotyledons are 

 very heavy, the stem of the seedling is unequal to 

 the task of lifting them above the ground. This 

 is the case with sprouting acorns and horse chest- 

 nuts. The cotyledons of both these trees remain 

 in the shell and in the ground (Fig. 6). 



Everywhere among last season's fallen leaves, 

 in the spring woods, the rootlet of the little oak 

 makes eager headway through the mold, while 

 the first foliage leaves seek the light above. 



The acorn, rent by the coming forth of the life 

 which it has enclosed, is soon drained of all its 

 stores and reduced to a mere withered shell. 



For, " that which is sown is not quickened ex- 

 cept it die." 



