70 FAMILIAR LESSONS IN BOTANY. 



starch into sugar, upon which the young plumule feeds 

 until the root has become long enough and strong enough 

 to draw up nourishment from the soil for the growth of 

 the plant. It is not necessary that you should be told 

 more about this subject now, as you w^ould need prepara- 

 tory studies to understand it. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

 Siinple Ch^gans. 



175. "We will now take a peep into Nature's workshop, 

 and see of what materials she forms those compound organs, 

 roots, stems, leaves, and flowers, of Avhich we have been 

 learning. 



176. You know of your own observation that vegetables 

 are composed of fluids and solids. You can take a young 

 sprout of poke weed and crush it in your hand, or watch 

 the sugar-cane as it goes under the crush-wheel, and you 

 will perceive that a quantity of fluid will be pressed out, 

 leaving a mass of pulp and fibrous substance. A tree, 

 when first felled, will be found to contain much moisture. 

 This may be seen exuding from the pores in drops even in 

 winter, and in the spring flowing almost in a stream. 

 Thus practical every-day observation will teach you the 

 first lesson on this subject, that is, that vegetables are 

 composed of solids and fluids. 



177. For the next step, however, the microscope must 

 be called into requisition. By its magical power we shall 



1 75. What do we now take under consideration ? 



1 76. What does common observation teach us ? 



177. What docs the microscope teach us ? The aolid parte of vegetables are 

 composed of what ? 



