GARDENING FOR ALL. 31 
Some seeds or embroyos have all their nutriment 
contained within their own substance, especially in their 
cotyledons (rudimentary or ‘‘seed”’ leaves), and when the 
coats of the seed are removed, the embryo (rudimentary plant 
within its seed), alone is found within. Other seeds havea 
separate store of nutriment beside them, and when the seed 
coats of the embryo is found surrounded more or less 
completely by this nutritive matter. 
The presence or absence of this nutritive matter seems 
to be connected with the mode in which the seed germinates, 
and its nature varies according as the seeds sprout rapidly or 
remain for a long period dormant in the soil. The store of 
nourishment laid up in the seed is generally greater than the 
embryo requires in ordinary circumstances. Some seeds 
continue of a soft nature, while others assume a stony hardness 
as in the date. Sometimes they are provided with hairy, 
cotton-like, and winged appendages as seen in the willow, 
pine, dandelion, sycamore, and cotton. 
Every seed ought to be able to produce a perfect plant, 
but there are sterile seeds just as there are eggs incapable 
of producing chicks. It is important, therefore, to sow good 
and plump seed. A small, weak, and badly nourished seed 
can only produce a young plant weak in proportion; conse- 
quently, let us be careful to save the best pods of seed from 
robust plants when we save seed at all. 
It is best to sow new seed of peas, beans, carrots, 
parsnips, onions, celery, beet, and lettuce; but new seed of 
cabbage, turnip, radish, cauliflower, broccoli, greens, sprouts, 
and kale is not so necessary, though often advisable. 
GERMINATION. 
Germination is the term applied to the sprouting of the 
embryo when placed in circumstances favourable for its 
growth. In the case of flowerless plants—ferns for example 
—a cell or spore is developed into a new organism; while in 
flowering plants an embryo plant, already in a certain stage 
of development within the seed, begins to send forth first its 
root and then its cotyledons and primary stem-bud. 
