elephant," and the
child who frequently hears the word "embryo" spoken in connection with
the plant concealed between the cotyledons quickly and unconsciously
learns it.

Place some of the soaked beans on damp cotton, and plant others in a pot
of earth, or, if it is Summer, in the garden. Those sprouted in the
house in the Winter must be kept warm. In a short time the little white
embryo tucked away in the bean begins to grow. We say the bean sprouts.
As the embryo develops, its little blunt tip grows down into the ground
and gives off roots. At the same time its two tiny white leaves grow
large and green, coming out from the seed-leaves (cotyledons) into the
air and sunshine. As the stem lengthens the seed-leaves are lifted up
above the ground along with the embryo. The bean thus seems to come out
of the ground, and children are very apt to want to cover it up. But it
has not really unplanted itself. The lower part of the stem and the
roots hold it firmly in the earth.

The bean on the damp cotton grows as well at first as that planted in
the earth, but it cannot get food enough to continue growth unless it
can thrust its roots into the earth. What enables it to grow at all on
the cotton, since that does not supply food, but only holds the
moisture, without which the bean could not sprout? There must be food
somewhere, and it is found packed away in the thick seed-leaves, which
contain a great deal of starch and a little of some other things.

[Illustration: THE BEAN--EMBRYO-LEAVES, COMPOUND LEAVES, AND BEGINNING
OF STEM]

The young plant, under the influence of warmth and moisture, is able to
draw out the nourishment from the seed-leaves. If we examine the
seed-leaves after the seed has sprouted we shall find them less hard and
firm; they have given part of their substance to the embryo. They have
also turned greenish in color, while, as we know, the leaves of the
embryo, which at first were so white and tiny, have also turned green
and grown larger. Between the two embryo-leaves there is a little
growing tip.

The young plant now no longer depends upon the seed-leaves for its
food. Down in the earth the roots are taking in nourishment, and up in
the air the little green leaves are also busy supplying food to the
growing plant. The little growing tip lengthens into a stem from which a
leaf is seen unfolding. This new leaf is not shaped like the
embryo-leaves nor like the seed-leaves. It has three leaflets. The s