POOD AFTER GERMINATION. 327 



When the act of germination is finished, which occurs 

 as soon as the cotyledons and endosperm are exhausted 

 of all their soluble matters, the plant begins a fully inde- 

 pendent life. Previously, however, to being thus thrown 

 upon its own resources, it has developed all the organs 

 needful to collect its food from without ; it has unfolded 

 its perfect leaves into the atmosphere, and pervaded a por- 

 tion of soil with its rootlets. 



During the latter stages of germination it gathers its 

 nutriment both from the parent seed and from the exter- 

 nal sources which afterward serve exclusively for its sup- 

 port. 



Being fully provided with the apparatus of nutrition. 

 its development suffers no check from the exhaustion of 

 the mother seed, unless it has germinated in a sterile soil, 

 or under other conditions adverse to vegetative life. 



CHAPTER II. 

 1- 



THE FOOD OF THE PLANT WHEN INDEPENDENT OF THE 



SEED. 



This subject will be sketched in this place in but the 

 briefest outlines. To present it fully would necessitate 

 entering into a detailed consideration of the Atmosphere 

 and of the Soil whose relations to the Plant, those of the 

 soil especially, are very numerous and complicated. A 

 separate volume is therefore required for the adequate 

 treatment of these topics. 



The Roots of a plant, which are in intimate contact 

 with the soil, absorb thence the water that fills the active 



