





334 



Of Vegetation. 



in a dry feafon the fibres fooner harden, and 

 flop the further growth of the fhoot j and 

 this may probably be one reafon why the 

 two or three laft joynts of every flioot arc 

 ufually fhorter than the middle joynts j viz. 

 becaufe they mooting out in the more advan- 

 ced hot dry fummer feafon, their fibres are 

 foon hardened and dryed, and are withal 

 checked in their growth by the cool 

 autumnal nights: I had a vine flioot of one 

 year's growth which was 14 feet long, and 

 had 39 joynts, all pretty nearly of an equal 

 length, except Tome of the firft and laft. 



And for the fame reafon, Beans and many 

 other plants, which ftand where they are 

 much fhaded, being thereby kept continually 

 moid, do grow to unufual heights, and are 

 drawn up as they call it by the over fhadow- 

 ing Trees, their parts being kept long, foft 

 and du&ile : But this very moift fliaded ftate 

 is ufually attended with fterility ; very long 

 joynts of vines are alfo obferved to be un- 

 fruitful. 



This Experiment, which {hews the manner 

 of the growth of fhoots, confirms BoreU 

 li's opinion, who in his Book *De motu 



Animal'mm, part fecond Chap. 13, fup- 



pofes 





