268 THE FLORIST AND 



vegetation attires itself with its most magnificent raiment, and proclaims to the 

 serious contemplater of nature the greatness and power of Him who called 

 all things into existence. 



And in what state does the vegetable kingdom appear to us in the evening ? 

 While the last rays of the sun, the source of life in nature, yet linger in the 

 west, the plants seem to be again in a deep sleep. The whole of animated 

 nature, as if wearied with the day, inclines with them to repose. The birds 

 and other animals, inhabitants of the woods, are silent, hiding themselves 

 among the branches and leaves ; the insects creep to their holes ; silence and 

 calm reign everywhere, till morning comes to revive the whole creation. 

 When reflecting on all this, one tries naturally to mount to the causes which 

 bring about such contrasts, and to give a reasonable explanation of them, 

 which is not founded upon a principle already received, but on one derived 

 from the very phenomena. The science designated the physiology of plants 

 proposes to itself such investigations. A zealous and unprejudiced inquiry 

 has already explained many difficulties. But when we consider the immense 

 field of our labor, the knowledge which we possess is still very limited. 

 There is much, perhaps, that we shall never wholly understand; but this 

 must not discourage us from pressing forward. Every good observation, 

 every remark is an element — a gain for science. 



If the reader will follow us, we will centre our thoughts in the great labo- 

 ratories of nature, and there observe attentively what are her actions, and 

 in what manner she performs them ; perhaps we shall be able to explain one 

 or another of those contrasts which we have just mentioned, and which, at 

 first sight, do not seem susceptible of solution. 



In considering a plant externally and superficially, we should not easily 

 presume that its structure is so beautiful. However, it is composed of ele- 

 ments so small, that the most sharp-sighted eye is unable to distinguish them. 

 For this we make use of the instruments called microscopes, consisting of a 

 series of polished glasses, which have the apparent power of enlarging small 

 objects some hundreds of times, and which help us in finding out what it 

 would be utterly impossible to perceive with our unaided senses. 



The microscope was first invented in Holland about the end of the 16th 

 or the beginning of the 17th century, and in late years it has been brought 

 to a high degree of perfection. By means of it we learn that plants consist 

 of membranes or vesicles, which are hollow, or rather fill up and enclose a 

 certain space, and are generally spherical ; which afterwards, on approxima- 

 ting one to another, change their form, and often become elongated, and 

 when joined together form the body called vegetable tissue. This membrane 



