118 Field, Forest, and Wayside Flowers 
grain of Indian corn which has been soaked in 
water till it is swollen and softened. If now we 
split it down lengthwise with a sharp penknife 
we can see something of its inner economy, with- 
out the aid of a microscope. Near the smaller end 
of the grain, and at one side, is a pale, tiny corn- 
plant. It has one leaf rolled into a hollow cone, 
and enclosing a little bud, whence other leaves 
would have developed had the plants sprouted in 
the ground. There is a short, thick stalk, and, at its 
base, a blunt point. 
At this point lies a little group of cells, full of 
vital power, whence the roots of the seedling 
should have sprung. 
But the whole young plant or germ occupies but 
a small proportion of the seed’s interior, and all 
the rest of the space is filled with stored food for 
the seedling’s first growth. 
The wheat germ lies in a similar position to that 
of the baby corn-plant, in the narrower end of 
the seed, and pressed against its wall. And in it, 
as in all the grains and grasses, Nature has _pro- 
vided very liberally for the first needs of the 
sprouting plant. This is the reason why the seeds 
of grasses—corn, wheat, rye, barley, rice, and oats 
—are among the chief food products of the world. 
