HOW PLANTS GROW FROM THE SEED. 



17 



encos in the particulars. 'While the same kind of plant always grows in exactly 

 the same way, different kinds differ almost as much at the beginning as they do 

 afterwards. The great variety wdiich we observe among the herbs and shrubs 

 and trees around us, — in foliage, flower, fruit, and everything, — gives to vegeta- 

 tion one of its greatest charms. AVe should soon tire of plants or flowers made 

 all after one exact pattern, however beautiful. We enjoy variety. But the bota- 

 nist finds a higher interest in all these differences than any one else, because he 

 discerns one simple plan running through all this diversity, and everywhere re- 

 peated in different forms. He sees that in everj^ plant there is root growing down- 

 Avards, connecting the vegetable with the soil; stem rising into the light and air, 

 and bearing leaves at regular places, and then blossoms, and that the parts of one 

 kind of blossom answer to tliose of another, only differing in shape ; and he de- 

 lights in observing how the tens of thousands of kinds of plants all harmonize Avith 

 each other, like the parts of concerted music, — plainly showing that they Avere all 

 contrived, as parts of one system, by one Divine Mind. 



38. So in the beginning, in the growth of plants from the seed, although the 

 general plan is the same in all, the variations are many and great. The plan is 

 Avell shown in the two seedling plants which liave sefved for illustration, namely, 

 the Morning-Glory and the Maple. Let us now notice some of the variations, as 

 exhibited in a few very common plants. A great deal may be learned from the 

 commonest 2:)lants, if we w^ill only open our eyes to see them, and ^' consider how 

 they grow," and why they differ in the way they do. Take, for instance, 



39. The Bean. Soak a bean in Avarm water (if a fresh one is not to be had) 

 and remove the coats. Tiie Avhole kernel consists 

 of an embiyo, as seen in Fig. 32. And almost 

 the whole bulk of this embrvo consists of two 

 tliick pieces, c, c, which are the cotyledons or 

 seed-leaves. We" may make out the plan of the 

 whole thing better by spreading these thick seed- 

 leaves wide open, as in Fig. 33. Here the two 

 thick seed-leaves are seen from the inside, c, c ; 

 they are connected Avith the upper end of a stemlet, Avhich is the radicle, r ; and 

 aboA-e this already shoAvs the bud or plumule, p. 



40. So the embryo of the Bean is the same in plan as that of the Maple (Fig. 

 27), only the stemlet is nmch shorter in proportion, and the seed-leaves A'cry much 

 larjier and thicker. What is the reason of this difference ? 



33 



