whose Spirit alone can enable us to see light clearly, and to exclaim, The Lord's thoughts are not as our thoughts, nor His ways as our ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His ways higher than our ways, and His thoughts than our thoughts.-(Isa. lv. 8, 9.) The wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, is revealed unto us by His Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. (1 Cor. ii. 7, 10.)

CHAPTER IL

ON THE STRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF

PLANTS.

42. IN prosecuting our botanical illustrations, we shall carry the reader along with us most easily by taking an orderly method,-commencing with a general view of the structure of plants, and then tracing the young plant from its earliest state, through its different stages of growth and development, up to the perfect fruit.

I. ON THE MICROSCOPIC STRUCTURE OF PLANTS.

43. As regards their minute structure, plants have been divided into those which are composed entirely of small bladders or vesicles called cells (fig. 30), united together in various ways

Fig. 30.

Fig. 30.-Two cells or vesicles (magnified), which enter into the composition of plants. The dots are places where the membrane, forming the walls of the cells, is thin.

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(fig. 31); and those which are furnished not only with cells, but with long closed tubes called vessels (fig. 32). The former are denominated cellular plants, and they may be illustrated by mushrooms, moulds (fig. 5, p. 19, and fig. 28, p. 43), sea weeds and lichens (fig. 1, p. 17, and fig. 24, p. 39), which have no conspicuous flowers, and are reproduced by small cellular germs; the latter I receive the name of vascular plants, and are seen in the case of ordinary trees, shrubs, and herbs which have more or less evident flowers, and are

Fig. 31.

reproduced by true seeds.

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44. The structure of the cells and vessels of plants can only be fully seen by the aid of the microscope, an instrument which we shall immediately describe. The examination of these tissues amply repays the trouble attendant upon it. In some cells and vessels there are seen beautiful markings

Fig. 32.

Fig. 31.-Cylindrical cells (magnified) united together and forming cellular tissue. Some of them are represented as containing small cellules which are employed in the production of new cells.

Fig. 32.-Elongated spindle-shaped woody tubes, closed at each end, and united together, so as to form a kind of vascular tissue (magnified.)

in the form of dots (figs. 33 and 34) or rings (fig.

Fig. 36.

35), or bars (fig. 36), or fibres, coiled up like a corkscrew (figs. 37 and 38.) Hence arise the various names of dotted, annular or ringed,

barred or ladder-like, and spiral cells and vessels. These, along with woody tubes (fig. 32), may be seen in different parts of the same plant.

45. Common mould (figs. 5, p. 19, and 28, p. 43) and mushrooms are composed of cells united together; so are the pith of trees, cotton, cork from the outer bark of the cork oak (fig. 19, p. 36), rice-paper, and the paper of the ancients, made from the papyrus—the bulrush of Scripture-whose nodding heads of flowers (fig. 39)

Fig. 37.

Fig. 38.

Figs. 33 to 38.-Various forms of cells and vessels magnified. 38.

so well correspond with the statement of the pro

phet, "Bow down his head as a bulrush." All fleshy fruits, as the peach (fig. 40), bread-fruit (fig. 23, p. 38), and succulent roots, as turnip, contain a large quantity of cellular tissue; and the object of the horticulturist in many instances is to increase it, and thus to render vegetables tender and succulent, which would otherwise be tough and dry. Cells often become hardened and thickened by matter deposited inside. Thus the hard shell of seeds, and the stone of

fruits, consists of woody cells. The coverings of some seeds, as Collomia, exhibit beautiful spiral

Dotted cell. 34. Dotted or pitted vessel composed of united cells with the partitions obliterated. 35. Annular or ringed cell, with fibres in the form of rings. 36. Barred vessel, with lines or bars formed by fibres. 37. Spiral cell, with an elastic spiral fibre inside. 38. Spiral vessels, with spiral fibres inside capable of being unrolled.

Fig. 39.-Papyrus antiquorum, the bulrush of Scripture. It grows in the Nile, and is used for making light boats. (Isa. xviii. 2.) The babe Moses was exposed on the Nile in an ark of bulrushes. (Exod. ii. 3.)