126 
GERMINATION OF THE SEED. 
ygen by the decomposition of carbonic acid gas, and to deposite 
carbon ; now this is just the reverse of the process required in 
germination, where the carbon must be evolved and the oxygen 
in excess. 
A certain degree of heat is necessary to germination. Seeds 
planted in winter, will remain in a torpid state ; but as soon the 
warmth of spring is felt, the embryo emerges into life. By in- 
creasing heat, seeds may be hastened in their vegetating pro- 
cess ; thus the same seed, which with a moderate degree of 
heat would germinate in nine hours, may be brought to this 
state in six hours, by an increase of temperature. Too gTeat 
heat destroys the vital principle ; thus corn which has been 
roasted could never be made to vegetate. The process of malt- 
ing consists in submitting grain of a certain kind, (that of barley 
is most commonly used,) to a process which causes an incipient 
stage of germination ; this is done by moistening the grain and 
exposing it to a suitable degree of warmth ; as soon as ger- 
mination commences, the process is stopped by increasing the 
heat. The taste of the grain is then found to have become 
sweetish. 
The term malt is given to grain which has been submit- 
ted to this process. When mixed with water it forms a 
sweet liquor ; and the fermentation of this liquor produces beer. 
We have now seen the two parts of the embryo commence 
their destined course. The radicles lengthen downward by ad- 
ditions to their extremities ; the plume bythe developement and 
increase of parts previously existing. 
You perhaps are surprised that so much can be said about 
things which may never have appeared strange or interesting to 
you before, and yet we do but glance at the different subjects as 
we proceed. We have said very little about the anatomy and 
physiology of plants, although they present a wide field for in- 
vestigation. 
Season of Germination. 
There is a great difference in plants as to their time of ger- 
minating ; some seeds begin to vegetate before they are separa- 
ted from the pericarp.* 
* In the month of January, on observing 1 the seeds of a very juicy apple 
which bad been kept in a warm .cellar, I saw that they were swollen, and 
that the outward coat had burst; examining one seed by removing the teg- 
ument, and separating the cotyledons, I saw by the help of a microscope 
A certain degree of heat necessary — Effects of too great heat exempli- 
fied in the process of malting. Plume why not carried downward like the 
radicle. 
