THE FLOWEEING PLANT SEEDS 345 



hairs? Compare with those seen on the fern 

 roots. 



Allow some seeds to germinate in the light, 

 others of the same kind in the dark. Explain the 

 differences. 



Look under the trees for germinating acorns, 

 horse-chestnuts, maple, and pine seeds, and en- 

 deavor to explain the various peculiarities found. 



Do the cotyledons of any of the seeds contain 

 chlorophyll before germination ? After ? Do 

 those with chlorophyll have thick or thin cotyle- 

 dons ? Can you give reasons ? 



Fill a tumbler about half full of water, tie loose- 

 ly over the mouth of the tumbler a piece of gauze, 

 allowing it to hang down into the tumbler, but 

 not to come in contact with the water. On the 

 gauze place a few iiax seeds, grains of wheat, 

 oats, etc., cover the whole with a bell- jar, and 

 set in a warm place near a window. Do the 

 seeds germinate? If so, do they germinate as 

 quickly as those placed on blotting - paper or 

 damp sand? "Whence do they get the moisture 

 needed for germination ? Judging from this ex- 

 periment, would you regard seeds as having a 

 very strong tendency to absorb moisture from the 

 soil, although there might be but little moisture 

 present ? How does this agree with facts ob- 

 served in the garden and in the field ? 



Geotropism of seedlings. 



Pin a germinating bean or kernel of corn to a 

 flat piece of cork, with the bean upon the upper 

 surface, and with the radicle pointing upward and 

 the caulicle downward. Float the cork in some 



