GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 275, 14 August 1920, Page 12

GARDEN NOTES

(By "Kowhal.")

SEED SOWING. From the tlm'o-.tno seed germinates, the tiny seedling has but ono object in Ufo, and that is to reproduce itself by means of. seeds. During its early stages, the roots go boring into tho soil, absorbing, as they travel, nourishment which, they pass up through the stems to the leaves. The leaves, with the'aid, of the buu, convert that raw food into' mature and casiry ; digested food, and send it alone to every part of tho plant. Thus the plant grows and develops, and day by day, it works towards the most Important period - of its life. The buds Jiro formed; theflowers open: tho inotDpr plant watts, breathless with suspense: "Why?" you will ask. Because concealed within tho flower are-the baby seeds—seeds fhat can- . ■ not bo fcrtilo until fertilisation takes place. But at last all is accomplished. The mother-plant, well satisfied, allows tho flowers to fade, ana the petals to droop and die, for now all her strength is devoted to perfecting and ripening: the seeds that are to reproduce her kind. Just as the worker bco packß into the with the egg the food that is to suntain the baby bco, so tho plant provides the food that is to sustain the seedling at ' -its. germination, until It is capable, by means of roots and leaves, to gather food '..'/or itself. But at last tho seeds are ripe, .. and the mother-plant but holds them till, each according-<to its kind, they are scattered far and wide. Leaves fall'and covsr them, soil drifts over thorn, and they lie snug, restinpt and waiting until the warm rain of spring wakens them into life. Inour gardens at this timo.of the yeiu, ' •; . where the beds have been left undisturbed throughout the wintor, there are many , : sturdy little seedlings'that were sown in •'• -the natural- way by their mothers. These seedlings are always strong and nealthy, but when we try to take the mother- < plant' 3 place in seed-sowing, the seedlings are not always such a succeas, for so :.. many of us sow in utter ignorance of the construction of the seed, and of the conditions necessary for its successful germination, nnd for the growth and ment of the seedling and plant. In most vegctablo gardens just now are to be found beans in various stages of germination. If a very young bean seed is dug up, it will be found to have two very thick leaves, and between these leaves thereis a very 6mall-leaf-bud with minute leaves, while below these is a stem, which terminates in a root. Compare this with a bean seed that has not germinated, but which ba6 been'soaked in water for some hours. The seea , coat can easily bo rubbed off, and the seed split Into two halves. At once you realise that these two halves correspond with the two thick leaves in the germinated bean. They are indeed tho seed leaves (cotyledons), and contain the food that is to sustain the plant until it develops roota and leaves. Having split open the seed you will then find a tiuy curved body, wjjlcfl, when the seed germinates, develops into a stem with leaves upon it, and a root Thus we see that the seed is really n Uny plant (the embryo) with rudiment-";,'fh?-J^'«»te?'Jand»lef'Tes' Aether with Its store of food. And so it is with all (seeds. There are many seeds in which '"in £*Z,t, P}m f0 T ° d J i not cont^ w» fI„V' ed . eaT ? s - In wheat and,maize ' .'Ki nd v 1M ide the seed coat, the embryo . S ? „ , ° ne . Bldo ' near ,lle Pointed end. "-and a separate store of food: : t v-?,«°. r « germination can take place three , ana air. When we gather our seeds in W f m ihcm away inXs or '•»-■?££• »m as . lo PE.ns we.keep them dry ■they- will not germinate. Experience has . .Proved.to us also that they will nit « r i j ? . the "Pen Vound during | the depth of winter. Those who would prora for themselves that air is 5StT lry , tho t?n«"rfn« <»mp° experinienl:-Secure two bottles. In ono Place some wet blotting paper, and "catte? '■' ■'"SibSt S S ?, n \ tlle blotting pa" r S ? Pn?L th ( l bot . t i e ™«"*cd to admit tli't £ ' J lp the other bottle with water that has been boiled and allowed to cool ■ 6 ? eds in !t - an « eorki P?a° Co both bottles m a warm kitchen, in the ■ In th^°„ 3eeds Eo , m serminato and growHaving examiped tho structure of the '" •'£? d iSf d i, 1 ? ,nied tho oondi'iona necesswl n/ nf t hi' Cn c' T ? ow conle t0 the maki fhS JS e w eed bed , and sowing •"•-our send w 1 ? are „ ahra W 'old to make .our seed bed firm. Most of us carry out . tins instruction faithfully because eweriS!S? h > B a r r d ' that ™th a well-made firm seed, bed our seeds germinate, and tho seedlings come up well, whereas seeds ucc a ess° U^ ry h lo9Be 80il are Beld ™ » ""Why"? W mUy o£ ns ever aak ' seeds" h ,w aftar BowiD * D6a « seeas, that tho first sigu of the aeeds '-••™WT M ,B tUo «™nce of '.■-■•what-looks like arched stem above ' ■fe' 011 -' TllIB 1S J hat haD " eua after the ■. seeds are sown. The seed at first absorbs ..„a : great deal of, water, swells, and becomes) softer. The root lengthens and ' ™,f ees .. from the seed . 'While the seed coat splits open. ' But as. the root emerges .t.does not at-first-ro straight down into :■<■ V Ol Js, !"■■' b - 0U(l8 ..i" an arch near tho seed., This arch' is the' first thing, that , makes its appearance abovo the soil, and •it is not for some time niter that the ■ Mat leaves appear. Aftor tha arch is .formed the yming ulant is firmly anchor- ?. d 'i"! 6 SOll hy means of its root, but it still has to get out of the Beed-coat, and tho seed-coat is held fast by the' particles of soil sticking to it. How, then is the plumule (the stem with leaf buds) to emerge? The arch continues to grow in an upward direction, and' as it grows it draws the seed-leaves and enclosed plumule upwardß with it, while tho Beed-coat is secujely held by the soil. At least, the are, drawn right up out ot the seed-coat, just as a hand is drawn •■from a glove; the necessity for the arch •-.ls: gone; it straightens itself out, and sends its root straight down into the soil. Thus we see the neceßßity. for the firm seed bed, for unless the particles of soil • iboh}. firmly to. the .sccd-coat, how is the . to emerge? Sometimes we see -. the,seed-coat, still fastened to the seed- •_ loaves as they emerge above the soil. The - : spil has not been firm'enough to hold ■ ."Jthem, and the growth of tho aeedlingß is often hindered m conaeauonce. ;•": ;Thd""study of various seeds in process of 'germination is extremely interesting, for .each has its own way of emerging from the Beed-coat, and.its own ioiethod of sup- - porting, the young seedling till it can secure food for itself. .;.-.Now. that the.days aro lengthening out j.mpst gardeners are' anxious to begin sowJhg seeds,, but remember that, although ■ _ -some■ days are warm and sunny, there -will bo many spells of cold wet weather, . "w'hen seedling*-will havo a struggle to keep going. Therefore, don't sow tho whole packet of seed thun early in the •eaaon; sow a few fleods, and reserve some for a later sowing, for seedlings have, alas, many toes. In most gardens tho soil is still too cold for sowing flower seeds in'the open; . t at present it is safer, to sow in Beed "• "pana. IJon't be mean about scc& pans. ■It is far better to spread your seeds .over • • i ■ three- or four seed pans than to crowd .iall-the seeds, into one. Crowded seed.lings start-, life badly; they start with, a ...-weak constitution, and no amount of Kood ..after treatment makes up for this un- .' 'happy beginning. Even in tho seed /pana ""the seedlings must have room to spread ' out their tiny roots, and they need the aun nnd air about their tiny stems and leaves just as much as older plants do. They want, also, plain sensible fowl for ;. ;■ a start. Give them good sweet earth .and sand, but no manure of any description. Rich -fcod at the start la bad for seedlings, but once they have developed fine sturdy constitutions, they can be planted out into ground containing just what is needful for their perfect growth. Garden Notes next week will contain seasonable notes about nopular .jnrdy annuals, routine work, and vegetables.