230 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 4. 



for its futher developement. We may perceive 

 at the same time, that this little germ has a par- 

 tial connexion with the farinaceous matter which 

 protects it, at this early state, from external injury, 

 till, like the chick confined in its shell, which has 

 exhausted the resources of its confinement, and 

 arrived to that degree of maturity which enables 

 it to sustain the impression of the earth and atmos- 

 phere, it bursts forth and seeks new acquisitions 

 in the earth. It is probable that this germ is 

 nourished, and thus far developed, by the channels 

 of its connexion with the farinaceous matter which 

 tonus the body of the seed: yet from some experi- 

 ments made with the bean, it seems that the germ, 

 so far unfolded as we find it in the ripe seed, is not 

 necessarily dependent on those channels through 

 which it had previously received its nourishment, 

 for a final germination in the earth. This fari- 

 naceous matter may be separated and removed 

 wfthout the least injury to the plant, and this too 

 before it has rooted. On dividing the two tables 

 of the bean longitudinally, we perceive the germ 

 pretty firmly embraced by each of them, forming 

 a sort of cylindrical mein or link of connexion, 

 which is merely partial or temporary, for those two 

 bodies, though lively and juicy at an early stage, 

 wither and fall off at a certain period when the 

 plant has put forth roots and leaves; which cir- 

 cumstance inclines me to be of opinion, that, they 

 serve some useful purpose in the way of assimila- 

 tion or transmission of suitable juices for the nour- 

 ishment of the germ — though this may also be 

 rendered somewhat doubtful from the following 

 experiment. The germ was carefully detached 

 from the two tables of the bean, having previously 

 provided a suitable space for its reception by hol- 

 lowing each of them: this was done in such a 

 manner as to free the entire germ from any degree 

 of pressure that might be made on it by the two 

 sides of the bean, when they were brought in con- 

 tact — having bound them pretty firmly together 

 and placed the whole in moist vegetable earth — 

 on examination the third day, the germ had be- 

 come so enlarged, as to put the bandage very 

 much on the stretch. It was now removed from 

 the tables of the bean and placed naked in a fine 

 bed of earth which had been prepared for aspara- 

 gus, where it soon rooted and flourished as an 

 ordinary seed would have done in its natural state. 

 Hence an inference may be drawn in favor of the 

 opinion, which supposes the fetus receives no 

 nourishment by the umbilical cord. Nevertheless, 

 I am well assured that the seed of vegetables as 

 well as animals, receive their nourishment through 

 the channels I have mentioned, during their at- 

 tachment to the parent. 



I am unable to conceive how nourishment can 

 be conveyed to vegetables, if the mouths or ex- 

 tremities of those vessels which open on the sur- 

 face of the roots, be quiescent. Capillary attrac- 

 tion above would hardly convey the necessary 

 principles to the different parts of the vegetable. 

 If it be not allowed that those vessels possess 

 irritability and contractibility similar to those of 

 animals, the whole process of vegetation must be 

 performed mechanically. It must be explained 

 upon the supposition, that a partial vacuum is form- 

 ed in their vessels, or the fluids they contain be- 

 come ratified, or less dense than those which are 

 afforded by decomposition in the earth, and brought 

 in contact with their rooty fibres; if this be the 



case, those fluids, according to the general laws of 

 gravitation, must press forward and occupy the 

 void spaces. But I think it much more probable 

 that these vessels possess excitability or aptitude 

 of motion, and perform their office similar to the 

 lacteal and lymphatic vessels of animals — their 

 food as it is offered by the earth, being in a similar 

 state to that of animals as it is found in their di- 

 gestive organs, where the mouths of the lacteal 

 vessels are open to receive it for the nourishment 

 of the general system. "• 



There seems to be a remarkable similarity in 

 many of the operations of nature, and it is this 

 obvious analogy, discoverable in the astonishing 

 works of creation, that gave rise to the opinion, 

 that it is not more necessary for a continuous route 

 of circulation to be kept up between the mother 

 and foetus, in order to produce its evolution, than 

 that the earth should be considered organical, and 

 continuous vessels form between it and vegetables 

 at the time of their germination, for the purpose 

 of conveying into them the various matters of 

 which they are formed. A tree acquires from the 

 earth its cortical and ligneous parts, without a 

 placenta to assimilate, or an umbilical cord to con- 

 vey to the general system; and is on a footing with 

 an animal which is disengaged from its mother, 

 and seeking food in the earth where it may be 

 found. The general operation of nature, as it 

 regards the production and nourishment of the 

 two kingdoms, is decidedly analagous, with this 

 difference, that animals receive their food some- 

 what refined and assimilated, while the vegetable 

 kingdom extract it from the crude matters of the 

 earth. 



In order to pursue the analogy between animals 

 and vegetables with perspicuity, we should con- 

 sider the fetus entirely distinct or unconnected 

 with the mother; or rather as having no further 

 connexion between them, than that which may 

 be dissolved without causing a solution of con- 

 tinuity; or perhaps it may be admitted with some 

 plausibility, that they are connected in a manner 

 similar to that in which the various vegetable 

 seeds are to their mother stalks previous to their 

 maturation: at which period we observe the tem- 

 porary union is dissolved, and they fall off spon- 

 taneously. It. is not until they have arrived to this 

 state of maturity and independence, which pre- 

 pares and enables their delicate organs to receive 

 nourishment directly from the earth, that they are 

 disengaged from their maternal dependence. 



In like manner, the female of the animal king- 

 dom, when pregnant, may justly be said to bear 

 seed, which become ripe at the usual period of 

 parturition. At this crisis the temporary union of 

 the placenta, with the uterus is dissolved, and the 

 fetus ushered into light and life. 



REPLY TO "COMMENTATOR'S" REMARKS ON 

 galen's COMMUNICATION. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



I have seen in the 12th No. of your Register, 

 Vol. II, "Remarks on the papers contained in No. 

 9 of the Farmers' Register," by "Commentator." 

 I beg leave, Mr. Editor, to subjoin a few of his 

 remarks. "With Galen's communication, I was, 

 upon the whole, much pleased; although I must 



