HARMONIES OF VEGETATION. 27$ 



are furnished with appendages to promote their wide distribution, 

 not only from one part to another part of the same kingdom, but 

 even to a different quarter of the globe. 



24. The fertility of plants in the production of seeds, 

 is almost incredible, and is a circumstance well calcu- 

 lated to display the unbounded liberality of nature. 



A single stalk of Indian corn, has been known to produce in one 

 summer, two thousand seeds; in the same period, a plant of ele- 

 campane produced three thousand, the common sunflower four 

 thousand, the poppy thirty-two thousand, and a single stalk of tobac- 

 co thirty-six thousand seeds. This immense increase in plants, 

 however, has been wisely harmonized by the non-fertility of many, 

 and by the requisition of others for a variety of purposes. 



HARMONIES OF COLOUR, ETC. 



25. Nature, in the creation of the universe, has very 

 beautifully moderated the influence of colour. To the 

 firmament above, she has given a pleasing azure, tint, 

 to the earth itself, a variety of shades, all more or less 

 harmonizing with the blue on high, and the agreeable 

 green of plants. 



If she had given to plants a yellowish hne, they would have been 

 confounded with the soil, and if she had dyed them blue, they would 

 have been confounded with the sky and waters. In the first case, 

 all would have appeared earth, in the second, all would have 

 been sea; but their verdure forms the most delightful contrast be- 

 tween them and the grounds of the grand picture, as well as conso- 

 nances highly agreeable with the yellow colour of the earth, and 

 with the azure of the heavens. 



26. In giving to vegetable productions a green 

 shade, though only one single colour is employed, there 



