4 OW THE STRUCTURE AND GROWTH OF SEEDS. 



tion: the second from its impregnation to its readiness for 

 planting : and the third frono its being placed in the earth, 

 till it rises thence as a growing plant. As I have taken 

 many hundred seeds in this progressive manner, I could 

 show their ahnost daily increase in regular drawings t but 

 this would take far too much room. I shall however give 

 in description as much as possible, adding a drawing of 

 three or four of the intermediate times, to make it perfectly 

 intelligible. For this I shall fix on the peach seed, the 

 manner of growing of which is most generally applicable to 

 all; the horse chestnut; and one of the grasses; to show any 

 curious irregularity in the stated laws usually admitted. So 

 very much do the interior of seeds resemble in their gene- 

 ral features, that these three may serve as an epitome of all ; 

 for as in every seed there are eight parts common to all, it 

 may well be supposed in so diminutive an object how great 

 must be the general resemblance. 

 Eight different The eight parts are as follows: 1st, the line of life, or 

 parts in eyery impregnating duct ; 2d, the nourishing vessels ; 3d, the cor- 

 culum; 4th, the inner skin or pocket; 5th, the cuticle, or 

 outward skin of the kernel; 6th, the stem of the embryo; 

 7th, the radicle; 8th, the cotyledons. I shall now describe 

 the different stages of seeds, and confine myself to those 

 circumstances, that are to be found almost universally ap- 

 plicable; and should I be thought prolix (which it is hardly 

 possible to avoid on such a subject) I hope 1 shall be par- 

 Seed vessel of doned, if lam perfectly intelligible. I shall begin with a 

 chestnut! ^^^^ vessel of the chestnut cut both ways, as it is absolutely- 



necessary to show the manner in which the different vessels 

 may be traced in the seed vessels. Plate f, fig. 1, shows 

 the seed vessel cut horizontally. It marks the distance at 

 which different vessels enter. It is very curious to observe 

 how it varies in place, till confined within the groove of the 

 future stalk. Fig. 2 is the seed vessel cut lengthwise, to 

 show how important a figure the vessel of life makes, when 

 the seed is so young, and before impregnation: for at a later 

 date it is hardly to be discened, the pabulum of the seed 

 having so increased in thickness, as to cover and inclose it. 

 Though in both these there appear the rudiments of many 

 seeds, yet it rarely happens, that there are more than one 



or 



