Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1861-04-24
THE MARvELs OF A SEED.

nave you ever considered now Wonderful q
thing the seed OF plant is 1t is the mira
Gle OF miracles. God said, 'sLet there be plants
yielding seed 20 and it is further added, each
one s'after his kind.''
The great naturalist, Cuvier, thought that
the germ OF all past, present, and future gen.
erations of seeds were contained one within THE
other, as if packed in a succession of boxes.
Other learned men have explained this mystery
IN different way. But what signify all their
explanations Let them explain it as they will,
the wonder remains the same, and we must
look upon the reproduction of the seed as a
continual miracle.
Is there upon earth machine, is there a
Palace, is there even city, which contains so
much that is wonderful as is inclosed in a-sin-
gle little seed-one grain of corn, one little
brown apple seed, one small seed of a tree,
picked up, perhaps, by sparrow tor her little
ones, the smallest seed of poppy or blue
bell, or even one of the seed that are so small
that they float about in the air invisible to our
eyes! All there is world of marvels and
brilliant beauties hidden in each Of these tiny
seeds. Consider their immense number. the
perfect separation Of the different kinds, their
power of life and resurr ection, and their won
derful fruitfulness
Consider first their number. About hun
dred and fifty years ago, the celebrated Lin
naus, who had been called ssthe father of bot
any" reckoned about 5000 different kinds of
plants; and he then thought tn at the whole num-
Der existing could not much exceed 10000.
But, a hundred years after HIM, NJ. de Candolle,
of Geneva, described 40, 900 kind of plants; and
he supposed it possible that the number might
even amount to 100, 900.
Well, let me ask you, have these 100, 900
kinds of plants ever failed to bear the right
seed ? Have they ever deceived us? Has a
seed of wheat ever yielded barley, or seed of
poppy grown up into sunHower? T? Has a
a beech-tree from chestnut! A little bird
may carry away the small seed of sycamore
in its beak to feed its nestlings, and on the
way may drop it on the ground. The tiny
seed may spring up and grow where if fell, un-
noticed, and sixty years after it may become a
magnificent tree, under which the fiocks of
the valleys and their shepherds may rest in
the shade.
Consider next the wonderful power of life
and resurrection bestowed on the seeds of
plants, so that they may be preserved from
year to year, and even from century to CEN
tury.
Let child put few seeds in drawer and
shut them up, and sixty years afterwards, when
his hair is white and his step tottering, let him
take one of these seeds and sow it in the
ground, and soon after he will see it spring up
into new life, and become young, fresh, and
beautiful plant.
NJ. Jouannet relates that in the year 1885,
several old Celtic toombs were discovered near
Bergorac. Under the head of each of the dead
bodies there was found a small, square stone
or brick with hole in it, containing few
seeds, which had been placed there beside the
dead by the heather friends who had buried
them, perhaps I,500 or ZOO years before.
These seed were carefully sowed by those
who found them, and what do you think was
seen to spring up from the dust of the dead
beautiful sun flower, blue orn-howers, and
clover, bearing blossoms as bright and sweet
as those which are woven into wreatheS by
the merry children now playing in our fields.
Some years ago a vase, hermetically sealed,
was found in a mnmmy-pit in Egypt, by the
English traveller, Wilkinson, who sent it to the
British Museum. The librarian there having
unfortunately broken it, discovered in it a
few grains of wheat and one two peas, old
wrinkled, and hard as stone. The peas
were planted carefully under glass on the 4th
Of June, 1874, and at the end of thirty days
these old seeds were seen to spring up into
new life. They had been buried probably
bout 5000 years ago, perhaps in the time of
Moses, and had slept all thai long time, appar
emily dead, yet still living in the dust of the
tomb
Is not the sprnging of the seed an emblem
of the resurrection of the dead Accordingly
it is mentioned by the Apostle Paul, in Cor.
XIV, where, from the springing of the seed; he
explains the doctrine of the resurrection unto
life.-Gdussen.