12 



HOW PLANTS GUOW FKOJI THE SEED. 



Cotyledons or seed-veaveB. 



Radicle or stemlet. 



more and more in the soil. The other end of the stem always turns upwards, and, 

 as the whole lengthens, the seed-leaves are brought up out of the ground, so that 

 they expand in the light and air, — which is the proper place for leaves, as the 

 dark and damp soil is for the root. 



29. What makes the root always grow downwards into 

 the ground, and the stem turn upwards, so as to rise out 

 of it, we no more know, tlian we know why newly-hatched 

 ducklings take to the water at once, while chickens avoid 

 it, although hatched under the same fowl and treated just 

 alike. But the fact is always so. 

 And although we know not how, 

 the why is evident enough ; for the root is thereby at once 

 placed in the soil, from which it 

 has to absorb moisture and other 

 things, and the leaves appear in 

 the air and the light, where they 

 are to do their work. 



30. Notice how early the seed- 

 ling plant is complete, that is, 

 becomes a real vegetable, with 

 all its parts, small as the whole 

 thing is (Fig. 21). For it al- 

 ready possesses a root, to connect 

 it with the ground and draw up 

 what it needs from that ; a stem, 

 to elevate the foliage into the 

 light and air ; and leaves, to take 

 in what it gets directly from the 

 air, and to digest the whole in the light (as explained in the last section. Par. 7). 

 That is, it already has all the Organs of Vegetation (Par. 1), all that any plant 

 has before blossoming, so that the little seedling can now take care of itself, and 

 live —just as any larger plant lives — upon the soil and the air. And all it has 

 to do in order to become a full-grown plant, like Fig. 4, is to increase the size of 

 its organs, and to produce more of them ; namely, more stem with more leaves 

 above, and more roots below. We have only to watch our seedling plantlets a 

 week or two longer^ and we shall see how this is done. 



