Chap. I.] BY THE SURFACE OF THE ROOTS. 
17 
or animals without stomachs, as some Medusas, 
that is, by absorption from the surface. 
Let us first take the positive assertion that 
roots imbibe from any parts exposed to moisture, 
and afterwards consider the negative, that they 
do not imbibe by the immature ends of the 
roots. 
Let us begin with the seed. The existence, 
and also the growth, of all seeds depend on the 
principle of absorption from the surface; that 
is, all seeds both breathe and drink by absorption 
from the surface. If seeds are to exist, they 
must be supplied with atmospheric air. If they 
are to grow, they must be supplied with mois¬ 
ture. And they inhale the air for their exist¬ 
ence, and imbibe the moisture for their growth, 
by absorption from the surface. 
We may regard the growth of “ mummy- 
wheat ” as an idle tale. Lyell informs us that, 
in an experiment at Kew Gardens, “ out of 100 
seeds of wheat, barley, and lentils, from Mr. 
Sam’s collection in the British Museum, not one 
of them would germinate;” and that a friend 
of his found occasional grains of maize (first im¬ 
ported from America) in several parcels of corn 
sold by the Arabs as coming from the catacombs. 
Lyell does not, however, controvert the possi- 
c 
Seeds imbibe 
by the surface. 
