SEEDLINGS AND SHOOTS 69 



and tbe domestic animals, too, get their share. 

 The seed from most of the late maturing trees 

 "will not grow till after it has been frozen. This 

 is true of most of the nuts and stone fruits. 

 Often seed lies in the ground a season before 

 germinating. Horse chestnuts, acorns, and 

 beechnuts sleep under coverlets of mold and 

 withered leaves, where they have quite likely 

 been stored by the busy squirrels, which for- 

 tunately forgot their whereabouts. Perhaps 

 you may have seen the rosy tip of a little oak 

 making its way above ground? Possibly, too, 

 you may have had the good fortune to dig up 

 sprouting acorns and peach stones ? 



Trees exercise great care in providing for 

 their little plant babies. All mature seeds con- 

 tain not only a tiny plant, but a store of nourish- 

 ment to feed it, while its first root develops and 

 its tiny leaves unfold. Let us examine a wal- 

 nut: How tightly the "goody" is packed to 

 fill every niche and cranny of its shell ! When 

 the nut was forming, it had four little rooms or 

 chambers, in one of which lived a little embryo 

 plant aU alone. In its seed leaves were packed 

 the starches and oils for the little tree it hoped 

 to become. Soon these little leaves became so 

 stretched and distended that they filled all four 

 rooms and were forced to lobe and fold back to 



