190 THE VEGETABLE WORLD. 
We will now follow the series of phenomena presented to the 
observer by the germination of a seed. 
The first apparent effect of germination is the swelling of the 
seed, and the softening of the coverings that envelope it. If the 
seed is enclosed in albumen, the embryo, which is in contact with 
the albumen, either over its whole surface, or the greater part of 
it, absorbs the nutritive matters which it contains, and increases 
in size in the same proportion as the albumen gets less, being 
developed at the expense of the substance stored up for this end 
by a provident nature. If the seed is destitute of albumen, and 
the embryo at the time of dissemination fills up the whole cavity 
of the seed, then the cotyledons—which are farinaceous in the Pea, 
or fleshy in the Nut or Cole-seed—which form the greater portion of 
the embryonic mass, will perform the part of albumen, as regards 
the rest of the embryo. Fig. 283 represents the first effort of 
germination in the Bean, a plant 
not provided with albumen. 
It was long a mystery how 
the starch of which the albumen 
of Wheat is almost entirely con- 
stituted, can be absorbed by the 
young embryo, since the radicles 
of plants absorb soluble matters 
only, and starch is completely 
insoluble in cold water. But 
the interesting discovery has been 
lately made, that the insoluble 
starch becomes soluble under the 
influence of an energetic agent, 
which is developed near the germs at the time of the seed ge? 
minating ; this dissolving agent has received the name of diastase. — 
The starchy matter transformed by diastase into a soluble sub- 
stance, bears the name of destrin. Destrin is modified in its tum 
under the influence of diastase, and becomes sugar. We shall 
be right, then, in saying, that the first nourishment of the yours 
plant is sugared water. 
Efforts have been made to discover if a grain of starch, while 
being transformed into destrin, shows any visible trace of so com” 
Fig. 283.—Haricot Bean germinating. 
