M 



. The P R E F A C E. ii 



They have given us very accurate and faithful 

 accounts of the ftrutiure of the parts, which 

 they carefully traced, from their firft minute 

 origin, thefeminal 'Plants, to their full growth 

 and maturity, thro* their Roots, Trunk, Bark, 

 Branches, Gems, Shoots, Leaves, Bloffoms 

 and Fruit . In all which they obfervedan exact 

 and regular fymetry of Tarts moft curioufly 

 wrought infuch manner, that the great work 

 of Vegetation might effectually be carried on, 

 by the uniform co-operation of the fever al 

 Tarts, according to the different offices ajfign- 

 ed them by nature. 



Had they fortuned to have fallen into this 

 fiatical way of inquiry, perfons of their great 

 application and fagacity had doubt lefs made 

 confiderable advances in the knowledge of the 

 nature of Plants. This is the only fure way 

 to meafure the fever al quantities of nourifh- 

 ment, which Plants imbibe andperfpire, and 

 thereby to fee what influence the different ft at es 

 of Air have on them. This is the likelieft me- 

 thod to find out the Sap's vehcity, and the 

 force with which it is imbibed: As alfo to 

 ejlimate the great power that nature exerts 

 in extending and pitting forth her productions, 

 by the expanfion of the Sap. 



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