By references to observations made in the garden, help the pupils to recall the bad results, both to parent plants and to young seedlings, of improper scattering of seeds, namely:
1. The excessive crowding and shading, which causes the plants to become weak.
2. Insufficient food and moisture for the large number of plants, which causes the plants to be small and worthless.
Discuss how the crowding of cultivated plants is prevented and, in a general way, how nature provides for the scattering of seeds.
The great work of the plant is the production and dispersal of its seeds.
Ask the pupils to be on the alert to find examples of plants in which provision is made for the dispersal of the seeds, and to bring these plants to the class for the next lesson.
DETAILED STUDY OF SEED DISPERSAL
II. CLASS-ROOM LESSON
Make use of the specimens gathered by the pupils and by the teacher for observing and classifying as follows:
1. Seeds that steal rides. Examples—burdock, blue burr, pitch-fork weed, barley, stick-tight, hound's tongue.