HOW PLANTS GEOW YEAR AFTER YEAR. 23 



then dissolved, turned into sugar, &c., and feeds the plantlet. 35. This illustrated in Wheat and 

 Indian Corn. 36. Or else the same nourishment is deposited in the embryo itself, in its seed-leaves; 

 illustrated by the Jlaple. 37, 38. Variations of tlie same plan of gi-owth in different plants. The 

 Maple compared with the Morning-Glory. 39-45. A great abundance of food stored up in the embryo 

 causes a rapid and strong growth ; illustrated by the Bean ; 42. by the Cherry, Almond, &c. ; 43, 44. by 

 the Horsechestnut, Acorn, Pea, &g. ; in these the seed-leaves do not come up in germiaating; why. 

 45. In Indian Corn; the stoclt of food partly in the strong embryo, partly outside of it. 46. The 

 Onion; its seed-leaf lengthens and comes up, but the stem never lengthens at all. 



47. Number of cotyledons or seed-leaves in different kinds of plants ; Jlonocotyledonous. 48. Dico- 

 tyledonous ; Polycotyledonous. 60. These differences always accompany other differences in the 

 plant; Monocotyledonous, Dicotyledonous, and Polycotyledonous Plants. 



Section III. — How Plants grow Year after Year. 



51. They Grow on as they Began. The seedling has all the organs that any plant 

 has, — even the largest and oldest, — excepting what belongs to blossoms : it has 

 all it needs for its life and growth, that is, for vegetation. It has only to go on and 

 produce more of what it already has, — more roots beneath to draw up more 

 moisture from the soil, and more stem above, bearing more leaves, exposing a 

 larger surface to the light and air, in which to digest what is taken in from the soil 

 and the air, and turn it into real nourishment, that is, into the stuff which vege- 

 tables are made of. So, as fast as a young plant makes new vegetable material, it 

 uses it for its growth ; it adds to its root belo\\', and to its stem above, and unfolds 

 a new leaf or pair of leaves on every joint. Each joint of stem soon gets its full 

 length, and its leaf or pair of leaves the full size ; and now, instead of growing, 

 they work, or prepare nourishment, for the growth of the younger parts forming 

 above. 



52. Simple Stems. In this way, piece by piece, the stem is carried up higher 

 and higher, and its leaves increased in number ; and the more it grows, the more it 

 is able to grow, — as we see in a young seedling, beginning feebly and growing 

 slowly for a while, but pushing on more and more vigorously in proportion to the 

 number of leaves and roots it has produced. In this way, by developing joint after 

 joint, each from the summit of its predecessor, a Simple Stem is made. Many 

 plants make only simple stems, at least until they blossom, or for the first year. 

 The Lilies, figured on the first page, and corn-stalks, are of this kind. Fig. 51 is 

 a sort of diagram of the simple stem of Indian Corn, divided into its component 

 pieces, to show how it consists of a set of similar growths, each from the summit 



