VEGETABLE LIFE. 13 



A writer on this subject in the Cornhill Magazine for 1872 

 very aptly says : " By this theory, nature must destroy two 

 worlds in order to plant a few moss seeds in a new one." 



Following up the law of Atomagnetism, we say, that the 

 growth of any plant is governed by the same law which governs 

 the philosopher's tree ; and that, practically, a seed in the 

 first instance is no more required in the one case than in the 

 other. 



"We are told that no vegetation can be produced without a 

 seed ; but how is it that when a railway cutting is made in new 

 earth, which has never before been disturbed, a crop of clover 

 should immediately grow up ; and that it, in its turn, gives way 

 to other vegetation, as the soil changes year by year. 



Besides, every seed does not become a plant ; for they often 

 rot by being placed in unfavorable positions for growing ; and 

 thus they return to the dust from which they sprung. If, then, 

 seed can return to dust, is it not possible for dust to perform 

 the functions of seed 1 ? 



Moreover, a plant, while growing, forms a seed in itself from 

 the soil in which it is placed. What, then, should prevent 

 seeds or plants forming in the soil itself, under favorable 

 circumstances and suitable conditions 1 Let us detail the 

 process by which this could be accomplished. 



In the soil we have mineral and vegetable atoms. All 

 atoms are magnets. Several like vegetable atoms are attracted 

 together, along with a sufficiency of mineral atoms to generate 

 a combined action. Rain, composed also of both classes 

 oxygen and hydrogen descends, and increases the force. 

 More atoms are attracted ; and with the addition of every atom, 

 more action or life is given to the whole. In due time) enough 



