Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-01-09
The Marvels of a Seed.

deriul thing the seed OF plant is =
Il is a miracle. God said, Let there be
plants yielding seed,' and il was further
added, each one after his kind.
The great naturalist, Cuvier, thought
that the germs of all pasl, present and
future generations of seed were contain
ed one within another, as if packed in
succession Of boxes. Other learned men
have explained this mystery in differ
ent way. But what signify all their ex-'
plantations. Let them explain it as they
will, the wonder remains the same, and
we must look upon the reproduction Of
the seed as continual miracle.
Is there upon the earth machines
there a palace--is there even city
which contains so much that is wonder
ful as is enclosed in a single little seed,
one grain of corn, one little brown apple
seed-one small seed of tree picked up
perhaps by a sparrow for her little ones,
the smallest of poppy, or blue-bell,
or even one of the seeds that are so very
small that they float upon the air invisi-
BILE to our eyes? All there is a world
of marvel and brilliant beauties hidden
in each of these tiny seeds. Consider
their immense number, the perfect sepa-
ration of the different kinds, their power
of life and resurrection, and their won
derful fruitfulness.
Consider first their number About
$50 years ago the celebrated Linneus,
who has been called the father of bota-
NY reck oned about 5000 different kinds
of plants, and he then thought that the
whole number existing could not exceed
much over 10000. But 100 years after
um, NJ. de Candolle, of Geneva, descri-
bed 10000 kinds of plants, and supposed
it possible that the number might amount
even to 100000.
Well; let me ask you, have these l00,-
900 kinds of plants ever failed to bear
the right seed? Have they ever deceiv-
ed US ? Has seed Of wheat ever yield
ed barley, or seed Of poppy grown UP
into a sunfower ? Has sycamore tree
ever sprung from an acorn, or beach
tree from chestnut A little bird may
carry away the small seed of a syca-
more in its beak to feed its nestlngs, and
on the way drop it to the ground. The
tiny seed may spring up and grow where
it fell, unnoticed, and GO years after it
may become a magnificent tree under
which the Aocks of the valley 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 pre-
served from year to year, an from CEN
tury to century.
Let a child put few seeds in draw
er and shut them up sixty years after
wards when his hair is white and bis
steps tottering, let him take one of these
seeds and sow it in the ground, and soon
after be will see it spring up into a new
lie, and become young, fresh and
beautiful plant.
Nj. Jouannet relates that in the year
1885, several old Celtic tombs were dis
covered near Begorac. Under the head
of each of The dead bodies there was
found small square stone or brick with
a hole in each, containing few seeds.
which had been placed there beside the
dead by the heather friends, who had
buried them perhaps 1900 or 100 years
before. These seeds were carefully SOW
ed by those who found them. What was
seen to spring from the dust of the dead |
Beautiful suuAowers, blue corn flowers,
and clover-bearing blossoms, as bright |
and sweet as those which are woven into
into wreaths by the merry children now
playing in our fields.
Some years ago vase, hermetically |
sealed, was found in a mummy pit in
Egypt, by the English traveller, Wilkin-
son, who sent it to the British Museum.
The librarian there, having unfortunate
broken it, discovered in it a few grains
of wheat and one or two peas, old, wrink-
led, and as hard as stone. The peas
were planted carefully under glass on
the 4th of June, 1874, and at the end of
80 days these seeds were seen to spring
up into new life. They had been buried
probably about 5000 years ego, per-
haps in the time of Moses, and had slept
all that long time apparently dead, yet
A IL. H. & Al