228 
THE SEED AND THE SEEDLING 
Place a box of soil in a warm room and keep it moist. Observe 
how many kinds of seedlings grow and how each gets out of the testa. 
How many kinds of seedlings do you find growing in your yard or 
garden ? 
203. Kinds of Foodstuffs Found in Seeds. — In the bean 
seed, two kinds of foodstuffs are stored, namely carbohydrates 
and proteins. Carbohydrate (see page 13) is the name 
of the foodstuff which includes the starches and the sugars. 
Protein (see page 14) is the name given to the food¬ 
stuff found in such foods as lean meat, cheese, and the white 
of egg. Beans contain more protein than any other seeds. 
Corn contains starch, sugar, and oil. Flaxseed and castor 
beans contain much oil. 
204. Foodstuffs in the Bean. — The presence of different 
kinds of foodstuffs may be shown by applying the following 
(chemical) tests. Boil beans until they are soft and then 
place a small portion of them in a test tube. Add water 
and heat. Put in a drop of iodine. If starch is present, the 
mixture will turn blue in color. Add strong nitric acid to a 
second portion in a clean test tube, boil and cool. If protein 
is present, the mixture will be a clear yellow color which will 
become orange if ammonia is added. To a third portion 
add Fehling’s solution 1 2 as a test for sugar. If the latter is 
present, the mixture will become dull orange when heated. 
Test uncooked seed for oil (1) by heating it over a lamp on a 
sheet of linen paper; (2) by soaking it overnight in ether. 
(This must not be near a flame at any time.) If oil is 
present, it will show on the paper as a clear spot, and in the 
second test the oil will appear on the surface of the ether in 
the test tube. 
1. Copper sulphate. 9 gra ms 
Water. 500 cc. 
2 . Rochelle salts. 49 grams 
Caustic potash.30 grams 
Water . •. 250 cc. 
Take two volumes of 1 , and one of 2, and add to the mixture 2 volumes 
of water. Do not mix 1 and 2 until ready to use. 
