

3 24 @f Vegetation. 



with proper inftruments to fuck it thence. 

 But the leaves fecm alfo defigned for many 

 other noble arid important fcrviccs 3 for 

 nature admirably adapts her inftruments fo 

 as to be at the fame time ferviceable to 

 many good purpofes. Thus the leaves, in 

 which are the main excretory duels in vege- 

 tables, feparate and carry off the redundant 

 watry fluid, which by being long detained, 

 would turn rancid and prejudicious to the 

 plant, leaving the more nutritive parts to 

 coalcfce ; part of which nourimment, we 

 have good reafon to think, is conveyed into 

 vegetables thro' the leaves, which do plenti- 

 fully imbibe the Dew and Rain, which con- 

 tain Salt, Sulphur, &c. For the air is full 

 of acid and fulphureous particles, which 

 when they abound much, do by the action 

 and re-a&ion between them and the elaftick 

 air caufe that fultry heat, which ufually 

 ends in lightning and thunder : And thefc 

 new combinations of air, fulphur and acid 

 fpirit, which are conftantly forming in the 

 air, are doubtlefs very ferviceable, in promo- 

 ting the work of vegetation 5 when being 

 imbibed by the leaves, they may not im- 

 probably be the materials out of which the 



more 



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