FOOD OP PLANT3. 129 



wards. Diirincj germination, considoral)lo heat is poneratcd, 

 no doul)t the ciYccl of (he action of th(? oxv^cmi on the carbon 

 ofthc*jecd. This mav be witnessed in tlic germination of large 

 masses of Barley. The most important change produced in 

 germination on the contents of the seed, is the conversion of 

 the amylaceous j>ortion into sugar, which is what is mostly 

 produced by the action of tin? oxygen, which takes away a 

 part of the carbon tVoni the starcli. and thereby converts it in- 

 to sugar, the starch containing 43,55 per cent of carbon, and 

 sugar but 28 per cent, the otiier elements lieiiig in nearly the 

 game proportion in both. The abstraction of 15,05 per cent 

 ofcarlion tVcm starch, tlieretore, converts it into sugar, the 

 appropriate nourislnnent of tlie embryo phmt. 



166. The conversion of starch into suiiar, is thrnufih tlic 

 action of a recently discovered substance, called Diastase. 

 This substance is produced at the commencement of germina- 

 tion, and the sole object of its production seems to be the con- 

 version of starch into sugar, for tl\e use of the embryo plant. 

 Il does tiiis with the greatest promptness; even \\hen artifi- 

 cially obtained it will convert two thousand times of its own 

 weight of starch into sugar. It is perfectly inert in relation 

 to any other vegetable product. Its situation in the grain, 

 would lead us to suppose that its operation was of the char- 

 acter above assigned to it. It does not exist in the radicle, 

 or in the c ityledons of the seed, but immediately in the pas- 

 sage from the cotyledons to the germ. It also exists in tubers, 

 as the polatoe, and in them it is not distributed throughout 

 the substance, but only at the very origin of the eyes, |)rccie' 

 ly at the place where one would conceive it to be placed to 

 dissohe the amylaceous substance for the nourishment of the 

 growing organs. This is an exceedingly important discovery 

 in relation to vegetation, as it carries us orje step farther into 

 the mysterious operations of nature, as exhibited in the nour- 

 ishment nnd growth of vegetables. 



167. The time required for germination is very different, 

 in ditferent species of j)lants, and even of the satne species. 

 Much inHuencc also is exercised over this operation by soil, 

 climate, localities as to moisture and exposure. 



Under favorable circuuistances, Wheat, Oats, Rye 

 and Millet, will germinate in o/ie day. Spinage, Bean, Tur- 

 nip, Radish, Mustard in three ihiys — L('ttu(!e \n Jour days — 

 Mellon, Cucinnber &c. in Jive davs. Horse radish in six— 

 Barley in 5«rc;i — Pi'rsfdane in nhie — Cabbage and II\ssop, 

 in Irn — P.i'-^Ji'ly, in fourteen or Jiff een — Almond, Peach, P;cony 

 a t/e<jr — Rose, Hawthorn tu:o years. These results will vafy 



