IlnW PLANTS (i|{t)\V rHoM TllK SKKD. 



1 r 



all iirouml the woiM. Mow Idii;^,' sccd^ will liv»^ is unooftMiii. 'I'lic .stnrit\s ot' .s«>ods 

 growing,' which havo lioi'ii jircscivcfl t'or t Wdor more thoiisaiul yrarswith l*'ii.'y|'tiaii 

 ramiunii-'s are not to he helifvcij. lint it is well known that Sensitive Plants liaNc 

 heeii raised from seeils o\('r sixty yt-ars oM. [-Vw kinds of seeds will i,Mnw after 

 kce))in«; them for live or six years ; many refuse to <,'row after the second year ; 

 and some will not liiow at all unless allowed to fall at once to the i.Moiiiid. 'I'hein 

 is no WAV of tellinLT wlietliei' the i.'-erni of a >eed is ali\e or not, except Ity ti'\in_if 

 wiiether it will irrou-, that is. will </' mu'uaf''. 



26. Geriniiiatioii and Early Giowtli. t;'ru>!iniii->u is the .>|)routinu' <'f a pimt from 



the seed. I la\ inir just illustrated tlie parts of, •! jil.int l>y the .MorniuLT • >lory, from 

 the root up to the seed ;ind tlie eiuiir\o in the .-eed, we may t.ike thi> >anie plant 

 as an example to show how a plant ;jrow > from t he seed. If we pl.-int some of t he 

 .seeds in a llower-pot, coverin.ir theui lightly with M)il, water ( heni. and ;i,d\'e them 

 warmth, or if in >])rinif we w;itch those whicji ^owed themsehes naturally in the 

 garden the year hefore, and are now moistened l)y showei-s and w.armed l>y sun- 

 ,shine, we shall soon see how they i;i'ow. And what we leai'U fi'om this one kind 

 of plant will lu' true of all oidin.arv jilants, hut with some dilVerences in the cir- 

 cunrstances, according; to the kind. 



27. The seed first ind)iljes some moisture throuirh its coats, swells a little, and, 

 as it feels the warmth, tlu- emhryo irradually wakes from its Ioiijl,' and deep sleep, 

 and stretches itsidf, as it were. I'hat is, the tiny stem of the iMnhryo lengthens, 

 and its end bursts throu<fh the coats of the seed ; at the same linu", the two leaves 

 it hears irrow larijfer, straiirhten theuLselvt's, and so throw olf the seed-coats ;is a 

 loose husk; this allows the seeddeaves to sitre.id out, as leaves naturally do, and 

 so the seedlini,' ])lantlot stands revealed. Ohservii the whole for youi'S(d\('s, if 

 possi1)le, andconijiare with these fia^ures. Fig. 19 is re[)eated fr(»m j). 9, and re[)ro- 

 sents the emhi-yo taken out of the seed, straightened, eidarged, and the two leaves 

 a little opened. Fig. 16 ami 17 ^how how the eml)ryo lies snugly j)acked away 

 ill the seed. Fig. ^o shows it coming uj), the seeddea\es ahove just throwing off 

 the coats or liusk of tlie seed. Fig _' i is the same, a little later and Larger, with 

 the seeddeaves spread out in the air alwve, and a root wtdl formed beneath. And 

 Fig. 22 is the same a little later .-till. 



28. At the very beginning of its i^rowtli. the end of the little stem w hich first 

 comes out of the see(l turns downw.ard .iiid |>oints into the earth. From it the 

 root is formed, which continues downwards, branching as it gi-ows, and ltur\ ing 



