SECT, II* 



VEGETATION 7 . 



15 



The feeds of fern, which by prolific heatv 

 Cheer 'd and unfolded, form a plant fo great £ 

 Are lefs a thoufand times than what the eye 

 Can unaffifted by the tube defcry. 



Blackmore. 



Seeds contain in embryo (or miniature] the plant 

 they are to produce, in all its parts, which they have 

 preserved from age to age, feeds producing plants, and 

 plants feeds, &c. 



They are covered with coats that are finely and 

 clofely wrought, the better to keep the moifture of the 

 earth from coming in too fuddenly upon the lobes, or 

 the little plant, which might occafion their rotting, and 

 we find that almoft every fort of feed, by means of 

 thefe coverings, mull remain different lengths of time 

 in the earth, before they begin to germinate. Some 

 will not fpring in the natural ground till the fecond 

 year after they are buried, while others will begin to 

 ihoot in three days after fowing. This is owing to 

 their requiring different degrees of moifture, heat and 

 air, to make them germinate; i. e. bring them into a 

 ftate of fermentation. 



The fubftance of feeds appears to be fpent firft in 

 feeding the radicle, and then in the nourishment of 

 the two firft, or feed leaves, which arc commonly of a 

 different fize, fhape and fubftance from the proper 

 leaves of the plant : From between thefe comes a 

 fhoot bearing the true leaves. The lobes (or fubftance) 

 of feed, confift of a farinous nutriment, adapted to 

 the infant ftate of the plant, when foftened and dif- 

 folved by the moifture oi the^arth, which extends and. 

 unfolds the young plant (or plumule) in the fame 

 manner, as the nourifhing juice in the eggs of ani- 

 mals hatches their embryo. The feed leaves there- 

 fore contain a fugary juice, which is evident from 

 infefts fo greedily biting them, and their pleafant 

 tafte in fallads, as thofe of turnips, cabbages, &c. They 

 • 2 are 



