CHAPTER X. 



SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ECONOMY OF PLANTS. 



In the animal kingdom the love of offspring has 

 developed the highest traits of character. In man 

 this sentiment, and that of " taking thought for the 

 morrow," have laid the foundation of most social 

 virtues, such as care for others, prudence, and foresight. 

 Nowhere, however, do we find these principles carried 

 out in such a perfect and stereotyped degree as in 

 the vegetable kingdom. We hold life insurance 

 among the middle classes, and registered friendly 

 societies among the working men, to be the out- 

 come of a thoughtful preparation against the future ; 

 and when men toil hard in order to start their 

 children well and fairly in the world, we are disposed 

 to give them generous credit. Both these disposi- 

 tions, however, are of modern origin — they hardly 

 existed at the beginning of the present century, and 

 are as yet but in their infancy, or there would be 

 less pauperism extant. 



Among plants the exercise of the principles both 



