92 VEGETABLES. 



is kept up by using the same matter over and over 



163. The plant in its growth, devours other plants, 

 and even animals ; for it finds no richer food than 

 dead animal matter ; but in its turn, it is destined to 

 be devoured either by animals or plants, and pretty 

 surely by both. A particle of dead matter now in the 

 soil may be clover next summer, beef next winter, and 

 clover again in six mo;iths. There is a restless activ- 

 ity in the matter which composes the surface of the 

 earth and its surroundings. 



164. When plants have passed their maturity, they 

 yield, among their earliest products of decay, called 

 proximate constituents, wood, starch, gum, sugar, glu- 

 ten, caseine, and albumen. Oat of these grow the 

 secondary products, alcohol, vinegar, and too many 

 others to be named. The secondary products of de- 

 cay are counted by thousands and hundreds of thou- 

 sands, if not by millions. Notice cannot be taken 

 of them here. But those primary products which I 

 have named are of great importance, as forming, di- 

 rectly or indirectly, almost the entire food for the hu- 

 man race, and for all the animals that live. 



165. Starch is of course pretty well known. It is, 

 however, known by different names, as it is derived 

 from different plants^ as potato starch, wheat starch, 

 &c. Sometimes it takes the name of the country 

 whence it either is, or professes to be, imported, as 

 Poland starch. That which is obtained from the pith 



