[Illustration: FIG. 96] But like the seed leaves of the bean, they are fat and full of food, and care for the young plant just as devotedly as did those of the bean. When this young plant needs them no more, like those of the bean, they die of starvation. [Illustration: FIG. 97] Within the acorn, the seed leaves of the great oak tree grow together. These lie quietly in the acorn shell while sending out supplies of food to the root and stem and leaves of the young oak (Fig. 97). Walnut and chestnut leaves act much in the same manner. But these first leaves of the walnut do not grow together, as you know. Each one is packed away separately in half of the walnut shell. The corn has but one seed leaf, which makes it unlike all the other plants about which we have been reading; but it resembles the pea, the acorn, the walnut, and the chestnut in this,—that the one seed leaf lies buried in the earth, as do their two seed leaves. [Illustration: FIG. 98] The baby corn plant is very small. It does not fill the whole seed shell, but gets its nourishment from the food by which it is surrounded. This picture shows you a seed or grain of corn cut in two (Fig. 98). Of course, this is much larger than life. In the center you see the tiny plant. All about is the baby food. The next picture (Fig. 99) shows you the young corn plant. [Illustration: FIG. 99] I want you to remember that this is the only plant we have seen with but one seed leaf. This one seed leaf never comes out of the seed shell. There are other plants of the same kind. All the grass plants have but one seed leaf, and the blue flag that grows in wet meadows, and all the lilies. [Illustration: FIG. 100] [Illustration: FIG. 101] Only a few plants have more than two of these seed leaves. The pine trees are among these few. This picture (Fig. 100) shows you a baby pine tree, still cradled in its seed, surrounded by baby food; and the next one (Fig. 101) shows you the pine just starting out in the world, with its six seed leaves. When you study the botany that is written for older people, you will find that plants are set apart in separate groups, according to the number of their seed leaves. Strange though it may seem to you, plants with but one seed leaf have certain habits that you will not find in a plant with two seed leaves; and a plant with two seed leaves, long after these have passed away, will show by root and stem that it had more than one seed leaf. In your schoolroom garden I should like you to grow side by side, first a plant with but one seed leaf, next a plant with two seed leaves, and lastly a plant with more than two. [Illustration: Decoration] SEEDS AS FOOD I want you to think for yourselves why it is fortunate for us human beings that many plants store away in their seeds so much baby food. “Because without this the little plants would die, and we should have no new plants to make the world beautiful to live in,” some child replies.