THE TREE GERM. O70 
sphere of growth. Sometimes she temptingly 
baits them with luscious edible coverings, which 
may tempt birds or animals to disperse them ; 
and sometimes she provides them with wings that 
they may themselves take flight, and find fit 
resting-places, as in the downy hairs of the seeds 
of Willows and in the membranous wings of 
Pine seeds. More than a century before the com- 
mencement of the Christian era Theocritus wrote, 
‘Sweet is the murmur of the wind among the Pine 
trees;’ and how beautiful is the reflection that 
oftentimes in the mellow seeding time the aérial 
currents bear away lovingly, on the sweet crest of 
a musical swell, the winged germs of a future 
generation of Trees ! 
There is yet one more consideration anent the 
perfected Tree germs. In what degree has Na- 
ture endowed these germs with the principle of 
vitality? How long can they resist the operation 
of decay—a process which dissolves the cohesion 
and prevents the co-operation of the mysterious 
forces which conduce to growth? These are 
deeply interesting questions. But we cannot 
answer them satisfactorily, and can only furnish 
