chap, i.] STIRRING THE SOIL. 3 
of the seed, and this may be effected by the 
aid of heat and moisture alone, as is done 
with mustard and cress, when raised on wet 
flannel in a saucer. But plants raised in this 
manner cannot be of long duration; as, 
though they will live for a short time on the 
albumen contained in the seed, on which 
they feed, as the chicken does on the nou¬ 
rishment contained in the egg, this is soon 
exhausted, and the plant will die if not sup¬ 
plied with fresh food, which it can only ob¬ 
tain by means of the root. Thus, the root 
is necessary, not only to form a base to sup¬ 
port the plant and to keep it upright, but to 
supply it with food; and nature has given it a 
tendency to bury itself in the ground, not 
only to enable the plant to take a firm hold 
of the soil, but to preserve the root in a fit¬ 
ting state for absorbing food, which it can 
only do when it is kept warm, moist, and se¬ 
cluded from the light. 
The manner in which the root is fitted 
for the purposes for which it was designed, 
affords an admirable illustration of the care 
and wisdom displayed by the Great Creator 
in all his works. In nature nothing is super- 
b 2 
