THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



PLANTS, like animals, are living, organized matter, 

 but, although possessing vital action, they are distin- 

 guished from the latter in that they are incapable of 

 locomotion ; for, whilst most animals possess the power 

 of moving from place to place, the plant strikes its root 

 firmly into the ground, and only turns towards the point 

 from which it receives light or nourishment. Therefore, 

 as the whole body stands firmly rooted, it may be con- 

 cluded that this inclination or movement must be gradual, 

 and affected only by certain portions of the plant. The 

 root, for instance, inclines naturally towards the spot 

 from which most nourishment can be derived ; the leaves 

 turn to meet the light ; and whilst the more highly or- 

 ganized animal can never derive subsistence from unor- 

 ganized matter, vegetables, on the other hand, are, from 

 the power they possess of absorption and assimilation, 

 fully able to derive their nourishment from inorganic 

 substances ; these are absorbed from without, and are 

 oxygen, hydrogen, azote or nitrogen, and carbonic acid 

 gas. As it is important to know in what manner these 

 elements are made essential to the nutriment of plants, 

 we will try to explain it 



It must not be supposed that the vegetable derives its 



