14 



now TLANTs (Ji{(»\v ri{()M Till': si:i;i). 



U 



horu ;iiiini!il docs iipott tlic mother's milk, (»r us tyic cliick <l<'\«'l()|iiii<.' in tlio o*f<* 

 does upon the prepared nourishment ^Ue parent had laid up tor tlie purpose in the 

 yolk. 



33. Tonr opon a frosh Morning Cllory seed, or cut a di-i<'d one in two, ns in 

 Fi;;. 17, and this supply will h(* seen, in tlic form ot a rich and sw«H'tish jelly-liko 

 mattei', packed away with the('nd)ryo, and lillin<,' all tht- spaces between its foMs. 

 This is calletl the A/I>uiini/ of the seed (that ItcjiiLf t he I-atiii nan.c of t lie white of 

 an efj<;) ; and this is what tlu* enduyo feeds upon, and what enal)les its little 

 stenilet (Fi,i;. 19, /') to ^'row, ami form its root dow pwai'ds, and carry n|> and ex- 

 pand its seed leaNX's ('•, '•) in the air, and so lieconie at once a jilaiitlet (Kit'. -I ', 

 Mith root, stem, and leaves, ahh' to take care of it>el ju.'m as a chicken does 

 wla'n it escapes from tlu' shell. 



34. This moist nourishiiii: jelly would not keeji loni: in that state. So, when 

 the seed ri[iens and dries, it hardens into a siili>ian( t 'ike thin <lried ylue or ^um, 

 whicii will keej) for any leiii^'-th of time. .\iid whenever the seed is sown, and 

 alisorl)s moisture, this matter soft<'n,s into a j"l!y airain. or irrailiially li(|nelie<, and 

 the seeddea\('s<'rumpli'd no amon^LT it drink it in at excry pore. .\ portion is con- 

 sul iietl in their<,M'ow th, w hile the rest iscarried into the u'row inirstendet, thenc«> into 

 the root formini; at one eiiij of it. and into the hiul (or /i/i/iniif'', Fiif. 22) which 

 soon a})peais at the other end of it suj*] Ivini: (he materials foi- tlieii- iji-owth. 



35. Notice the s.nue tliiii;^; in Wheat, ( )ats, ov Indian ( 'orn. The last is the best 

 example, because the .'iT.-in is so lai'iic that all the pai'ts may lie clearly seen with- 

 out nia«rnifyin<,'. The abundant //////• oi' soil and rich pidp of irreeii corn is the 

 same as the jelly in the seed of the .Morni!i,i:-< llory ; namely, it is the "//'/////'Wof 

 the seed. pi'o\ idi d foi' the enduyo (the chit or <.;-erm 1 to t'eed nj)on when ^rrowth 

 be«;ins. See Kiijures 44, 45, iVc. This nourishing' food (as we well know it to be) 

 was produced by the mother plant durinir the siunmer, was accumulated in the 

 stalk at lloweriiiii time, in the ba'ui of stii^ai'. or syrup, was conveyed into the 

 flowers and forming' seeds ; a jtart was used to form the trcrm or embi-yo. ami the 

 rest was stored u}t Mith it in the seed, to ser\e for its /.rrowth into a })lantl(>t tlie 

 next spriui,'. That it may keep througii the winter, or lonycr, the sweet milk is 

 changed into a starchy pulp, which hardens as the irrain rijiens into the lirm and 

 dry mealy part (or alhuiiicn), which here ni;ikes the p.iinci])al bulk of the see(l. 

 Ihit when .sown, this meal softens and is slowly changed liack into sugar agai 1. 

 Aial this, dissolved in the water the steel takes in, makes a sweet .sap, which the 



