2 GERMINATION OF THE SEED. CHAP. I. 



of the first and incipient symptoms of the agency 

 of the vital principle as displayed in the evolution 

 of the seed, till that of its ultimate and complete 

 extinction as denoted by the death of the plant. 

 Division The subject therefore necessarily involves the se- 

 ject. C 3 veral following topics, which shall each constitute 

 the ground of a separate chapter : Germination ; 

 nutriment; digestion; growth and dcvelopement of 

 parts; anomalies of vegetable developement ; sexu- 

 ality of vegetables ; impregnation of the vegetable 

 germe ; changes consequent upon impregnation ; 

 propagation and dispersion of the species; causes 

 limiting the dispersion of the species ; evidence and 

 character of vegetable vitality ; casualties affecting 

 or destroying the vitality of vegetables. 



CHAPTER I. 



GERMINATION OF THE SEED. 



All plants GERMINATION is that act or operation of the 

 fr P om seed. vegetative principle by which the embryo is ex- 

 tricated from its envelopes, and converted into a 

 plant. This is universally the first part of the 

 process of vegetation. For it may be regarded as 

 an indubitable fact, that all plants spring originally 

 from seed ; the doctrine of equivocal generation 

 being now most completely exploded, and an ad- 

 ditional proof adduced of the uniformity of the 



