LESSON 2.] GROWTH OF TUIC I'LANT FROM THE SEED. 



story, — are tlie livinjj witnosso? and illustrations of ono and the 

 same plan of Creative Wisdom in the vegftable world. So that the 

 study of any one plant, traced from the seed it springs from round 

 to the seeds it produces, would illustrate the wdiole subject of Vege- 

 table life and growth. It matters little, th.'retbrw, what particular 

 plant we begin with. 



14. The Cprmilialin!; Plantlft. Take for example a seedling Maple. 

 Sugar ^Maples may be tuuiid in abundance in many places, starting 

 from the seed (i. e. germinathuj) in early spring, and Red IMaples 

 at the beginning of summer, shortly after the fruits of the season 

 have ripened and fallen to the ground. A pair of narrow green 

 leaves raised on a tiny stem make up the whole plant at its first 

 appearance (Fig. 4). Soon a root appears at the; lower end of this 

 stemlet ; then a little bud at its upper end, between the pair of 

 leaves, which soon grows into a second joint or 

 stem bearing another pair of leaves, resembling 

 the ordinary leaves of the Red IMaple, which 

 the first did not. Figures 5 and (5 represent 

 these steps in the growth. 



15. Was this plantlet formed in the seed at 

 the time of germination, something as the chick 

 is formed in the egg during the process of incu- 

 bation ? Or did it exist before in the seed, 

 ready formed ? To decide this question, we 

 have only to inspect a sound seed, which in this 

 instance requires no microscope, nor any other 

 instrument than a sharp knife, by which the 

 coats of the seed (previously soaked in water, if 

 dry) may be laid open. We find within the 

 seed, in this case, the little plantlet ready formed, 

 and nothing else (Fig. 2); — namely, a pair 

 of leaves like those of the earliest seedling 

 (Fig. 4), only smaller, borne on a st<^mlet just 

 like that of the seedling, only much shorter, 

 and all snugly coiled uj) williiii tlic protecting 

 sf'cd-coat. The j)lant tlicii cxi.-ts bcfon-iiand < 

 in the seed, in miuiatun'. It was not Ibrmed, but only devel- 



FIC, 1. A wiii:;im1 friiil of IJimI .M,i|i1o. wiili tlio sooil-hp.irini; iMirtiiiii ciil ojicn, to show tli* 

 «cp(l. a. TliiR m-oil (III <i|H'ii to show ilio piiiliryo plaiillot within, enlarged. 3. TJio embryo 

 tikeii out whole, and partly unfolded. -4. The Hamc after it has begun to grow ; of tb« 

 natural siiee. 



