THE BAELEY CHOP. 123 



however, the conditions of the seed are changed to those 

 suitable for its new functions, a vital action is set up, which 

 is immediately communicated to the matters forming the 

 body of the seed, these, by a series of beautiful changes, 

 furnish the young plant with a supply of food, until such 

 time as it has acquired vigour of growth enough to throw 

 out its own rootlets and leaves, and thus obtain its food 

 directly from the soil and the air. The first change that 

 takes place in the seed is the formation of a peculiar sub- 

 stance termed diastase' 1 a substance which, although 

 well known to chemists, is yet beyond their skill to pro- 

 duce. It is clearly the result of natural forces, and can 

 only be produced by natural causes : it does not exist in 

 the raw grain or seed, but is a necessary ingredient in 

 malted grain. This remarkable body is the result of the 

 vital action in the seed acting on certain of its consti- 

 tuents, and is obtained at the expense of the nitrogen 

 compounds (gluten) existing in the seed. It is always 

 found at the end of the seed in which the germ is placed ; 

 whence proceed (as is seen at p. 21) both the stem and the 

 roots which constitute the future plant. Here it is that the 

 starch globules first experience a change ; under the in- 

 fluence of the "diastase," with which they are in immediate 

 contact, they are converted into a substance analogous 

 with gum, to which the name of "dextrine" 2 has been 

 given, and then from dextrine into sugar. Such is the 

 change which takes place in the germination of all our 

 cereal grains ; and a small acquaintance with chemistry 

 will enable us at once to recognize the reasons why such 

 provisions should have been made by the Almighty in the 

 structure and constitution of seeds. 



The starch, stored up in such large proportions in the 



1 From the Greek words It* ifrr,,u,i, to stand between, because this substance 

 aids the conversion of the starch into sugar. 



2 From dexter, right hand, owing to the peculiar action of the substance in 

 the polarization of light. 



