40 



with the proper development of the new root system, which 

 is always damaged to some extent when trees are moved. 

 Similarly, it is advisable when Raspberry canes are new^ly 

 planted to cut them down to within eight or ten inches of 

 the ground, so that they should not exhaust themselves 

 during the first year, as that would prevent the formation 

 of strong new shoots for the next season. 



As rifening fruits require a large amount of nutrition, 

 it is important to see that the stimulating treatment we 

 give to plants which are bearing, should not be used for 

 the production of vegetative shoots. In Tomatoes the 

 growth of such shoots should be checked v/hen the fruits 

 are maturing. It is also advisable to reduce the foliage 

 a little so that the fruits are not shaded. Excessive 

 defoliation, how^ever, will prevent the fruits from attain- 

 ing their full size as the leaves are the seat of formation 

 for the organic material which the fruits require. 



When fully mature the seeds inside the fruits will be 

 found to be surrounded with a hard seed coat, within 

 w^hich we have the minute seedling either containing its 

 store of food material in its fleshy seed leaves as in the 

 Pea or Bean, or surrounded with a supply of nutriment as 

 in the case of the Wheat grain. The food material is 

 usually largely starchy or oily, but in addition there 

 is a smaller am^ount of the essential nitrogenous material 

 so important to the plant and so essential to man. Of all 

 cereals Wheat is the richest in nitrogenous material, w^hile 

 all leguminous seeds, thanks to the help which their 

 parent plants have received from the nitrogen fixing 

 bacteria in their root tubercles, have a great abundance 

 of organic nitrogen compounds. This is the cause of 

 their great nutritive value to mankind. 



