152 THE FAIRY-LAND OF SCIENCE. 
we took world-wide histories ; we travelled up to 
the sun, or round the earth, or into the air ; now I 
only ask you to fix your attention on one little plant, 
and inquire into its history. 
There is a beautiful little poem by Tennyson, which 
says 
" Flower in the crannied wall, 
I pluck you out of the crannies ; 
Hold you here, root and all, in my hand, 
Little flower ; but if I could understand 
What you are, root and all, and all in all, 
I should know what God and man is." 
We cannot learn all about this little flower, but we 
can learn enough to understand that it has a real 
separate life of its own, well worth knowing. For 
a plant is born, breathes, sleeps, feeds, and digests 
just as truly as an animal does, though in a dif- 
ferent way. It works hard both for itself to get its 
food, and for others in making the air pure and fit 
for animals to breathe. It often lays by provision 
for the winter. It sends young plants out, as parents 
send their children, to fight for themselves in the 
world ; and then, after living sometimes to a good old 
age, it dies, and leaves its place to others. 
We will try to follow out something of this life to- 
day ; and first, we will begin with the seed. 
I have here a packet of primrose-seeds, but they 
are so small that we cannot examine them ; so I have 
also had given to each one of you an almond-kernel, 
which is the seed of the almond-tree, and which has 
been soaked, so that it splits in half easily. From 
this we can learn about seeds in general, and then 
apply it to the primrose. 
