SECT. II. VEGETATION** 15 



The feeds of />;/, which by prolific heat, 

 Cheer'd and unfolded, form a plant fo great ; 

 Are lefs a thoufand rimes than what the eye 

 Can unafiifted by the tube dgfcry. 



Blackmqre* 



Seeds contain in embryo (or miniature) the plant 

 they are to produce, in all its parts, which they have 

 preferved from age to age, feeds producing plants, and 

 plants feeds, &e. 



They are covered with coats that are finely and 

 clofely wrought, the better to keep the moifture of the 

 garth from coming in too fuddenly upon the Icbes, or 

 the little plant, which might occafion their rotting, and 

 we find that almoft every fort of feed, by means of 

 thefe coverings, rauft remain different lengths of time 

 in the earth, before they begin to germinate. Seme 

 will not fpring in the natural ground till the fecond 

 year after they are buried, while ethers will begin to 

 lhoot in three days after fowing. This is owing to 

 their requiring different degrees of moifture, heat and 

 air, to make them germinate ; i. e. bring them into a 

 ftate of fermentation. 



The fubjiance of feeds appears to be fpent firfl in 

 feeding the radicle, and then in the nourishment of 

 the two firft , or feed leaves, which are commonly of a 

 different fize, fhape and fubftance from the proper 

 leaves of the plant : From between thefe comes a 

 moot bearing the true leaves. The lobes (or fubftance) 

 of feed, confift of a farinous nurriment, adapted to 

 the infant ftate of the plant, when fattened and dif- 

 folved by the moifture of the earth, which extends an4 

 unfolds the young plant (or plumule) in the fame 

 manner, as the ncurifhing juice in the eggs of ani- 

 mals hatches their embryo. The feed leaves there- 

 fore contain a fugary juice, which is evident from 

 infecls fo greedily biting them, and their pleafant 

 tafle in fallads, as thofe of turnifs, cabbages, &*. They 

 % axe 



