


CHAPTER II 
THE PARTS OF THE SEED 
Are the parts of the seedling present in the seed? 
Since the root comes from the seed so soon after plant- 
ing, when the soil is moist and the weather warm, and 
the other parts quickly follow, one begins to suspect 
that these parts are already formed in the dry seed. 
We are curious to know if this is so. We are eager to 
examine the seeds and see. The dry seeds might be 
examined, but they are easier to open if they are first 
soaked in water from twelve to twenty-four hours. When 
they are ready, let us open them and read their story. 
The parts of the bean seed. The bean seed can be 
split, as described on page 14, into halves by cutting 
through the thin coat along the ridge on the rounded 
or convex side. Spread the two parts out 
flat and study them. The two large white 
fleshy objects which are now exposed we 
| recognize as the two cotyledons which were 
w1G. 33. Bean wited from the soil by the loop. The thin 
showing sear. coat which enclosed them is the seed coat. 
Lying along the edge near the end of one of the coty- 
ledons is a small object which looks like a tiny plant. 
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