38 LIFE OF A TREE. 
young plants putting out their tiny leaves in 
this singular position, and becoming strong and 
large. If, again, we break a portion of a leaf 
of the Gesneria, it puts out, says Dr. Schleiden, 
a new young plant in about a week: the same 
takes place in several other plants. Sometimes, 
indeed, the leaf itself will grow when planted 
and set in the soil favourable to it. Orange- 
trees have been grown in this way; and it is 
well known that, in the middle ages, a travelling 
florist, named Mirandola, went about teaching 
“the art of making trees out of leaves.” It 
may be added also, that the little organs we call 
“buds” occasionally grow, and become perfect 
plants even in nature. 
In these cases nothing worthy of remark exists, 
as to the chemical nature of the vital processes 
of the young plants, to justify their being con- 
sidered separately from the notice we purpose 
bestowing upon this subject in the next chap- 
ter. 
Such then is the infancy of vegetation :— 
passed in various regions and under circum- 
stances as extreme to one another as the frozen 
north, and torrid zone. Climate makes no differ- 
