CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I 

 THE BEGINNINGS OF PLANT LIFE 



Microscopic plants on an old wooden fence Only a small pro- 

 portion of the world's plants assume conspicuous forms 

 Sea-water coloured with minute plants Difficult to find any 

 natural condition of land or water free from plant life 

 Plants which swim freely about in water Difficulties in 

 distinguishing between the lower plants and animalcules 

 Desmids Structure of ditto Reproduction of ditto 

 Diatoms Where found Structure of ditto The decora- 

 tive markings and sculpturings of ditto " Rotten-stone " or 

 "Tripoli " Diatom deposits eventually form rocks Varieties 

 of forms assumed Movements of diatoms Revealing power 

 of microscope Man'b skill with the minute Thread-like 

 plants Plants which show the first indications of a stem, and 

 differentiation in its cell-structure Gradual evolution from 

 lower to higher life-forms Pp. 1-31 



CHAPTER II 

 GLIMPSES INTO PLANT STRUCTURE 



Green film encrusting old fence consists of many hundreds of 

 plants Structure of these unicellular plant-atoms Repro- 

 duction of ditto Red snow Vegetable cells are the bricks 

 which build up the plant edifice Hairs on plants The 



