12 
HOW PLANTS GROW FROM THE SEED. 
Cotyledons or seed-leaves. 
Radicle or stemlet. 
Plumule. 
more and more in the soil. The other end of the stem always turns upwards, and, 
as the whole lengthens, the seed-leaves are brought up out of the ground, so that 
they expand in the light and air, — which is the proper place for leaves, as the 
dark and damp soil is for the root. 
29. What makes the root always grow downwards into 
the ground, and the stem turn upwards, so as to rise out 
of it, we no more know, than we know why newly-hatched 
ducklings take to the water at once, while chickens avoid 
it, although hatched under the same fowl and treated just 
alike. But the fact is always so. 
And although we know not how , 
the why is evident enough ; for the root is thereby at once 
placed in the soil, from which it 
has to absorb moisture and other 
things, and the leaves appear in 
the air and the light, where they 
are to do their work. 
30. Notice how early the seed- 
ling plant is complete, that is, 
becomes a real vegetable, with 
all its parts, small as the whole 
thing is (Fig. 21). For it al- 
ready possesses a root, to connect 
it with the ground and draw up 
what it needs from that ; a stem, 
to elevate the foliage into the 
light and air ; and leaves, to take 
in what it gets directly from the 
air, and to digest the whole in the light (as explained in the last section, Par. 7). 
That is, it already has all the Organs of Vegetation (Par. 1), all that any plant 
has before blossoming, so that the little seedling can now take care of itself, and 
live — just as any larger plant lives — upon the soil and the air. And all it has 
to do in order to become a full-grown plant, like Fig. 4, is to increase the size of 
its organs, and to produce more of them ; namely, more stem with more leaves 
above, and more roots below. We have only to watch our seedling plantlets a 
week or two longer, and we shall see how this is done. 
Root. 
