158 GERMINATION 



During periods of drought the root supply of current may, 

 conceivably, be cut off by non-conducting dry soil, and if 

 that current is necessary to the well-being of the plant it 

 would perish had it not some other source of supply ; whereas 

 so long as its protoplasm remained in a fluid or semi-fluid 

 condition it would, with some measure of independent 

 generation, be better fitted to endure hardship. The outer 

 dark green leaves of the Cabbage contain a comparatively 

 large quantity of iron (17 mgms. per 100 gms. of substance) 

 and those leaves — standing out from the more closely folded 

 leaves of the heart of the plant — have the largest oxygen 

 intake. 



I propose to give three examples of the Cabbage tribe, 

 i.e., a Summer Cabbage, a Brussels Sprout and a Savoy. 

 There are many other plants, such as the Lettuce, etc., 

 which it is unnecessary to mention because they are, in their 

 electrical structure, almost identical with the Cabbage. 



Sectiox of Cabbage. 



Figure 101 depicts what is probably the most succulent 

 and digestible member of the whole family in that the 

 positive portion — the fleshy part of the leaves — largely 

 exceeds in bulk that of the negative venation. It is, in fact, 

 in that respect, an exaggerated Brussels Sprout, which 

 everyone knows is one of the most tender inhabitants of 

 the kitchen garden. Figure 102 will enable us to compare 

 them. 



