TBEE-FOOD. 261 



walks. To the artist, the withered leafy floor of 

 the forest affords, by its strong and varied colour, 

 some of the finest of his effects; and for the reflec- 

 tive mind there is much of interest to be learnt 

 from a subject that might appear to have no 

 element of interest in it. 



The functions of plants, as exhibited in the pro- 

 duction of leaves, flowers, and fruit beautiful as 

 are their manifestations, and quietly and noise- 

 lessly as the processes are conducted are very 

 exhaustive both of vital force and of substance. 

 From the soil and from the air, but mainly from 

 the soil, all the elements that minister to the pro- 

 duction of the beautiful fabrics formed by the 

 mysterious processes of growth and development 

 are derived. The needful assimilation and meta- 

 morphism for this last-mentioned expression 

 may fitly be applied to the elaborating functions 

 of plants though the elements which are essen- 

 tial to them are derived from outside, also involve 

 more or less of exhaustion, and unless with this 

 exhaustion there were replenishment, the plant 

 would languish and die. Hence it is that the 

 vital substances which are withdrawn, must be 



