/ 



V E G 



. body thereof i ndr needs it be either lowefl: or hi^hefl:, 

 &c. Accordingly in Coral^ MolTes, Fungufcsr«^:c! 

 the root is frequently uppermoft, and its growth 

 downwards. 



VEGETABLE ST ATIC S Hgrnfies the weight 

 or gravity, and the motion of the juices, in vegetable 



bodies. 



V E G E T A T I O N is the adl whereby plants receive 

 nourifliment, and grow ; the word is derived from 

 the Latin, vegeto, to quicken, to refrelh, to make 

 lively and ftrongj and fignifies the way of growth, or 

 increafe of bulk, parts, and dimcnfions proper to all 

 trees, fhrubs, herbs, plants, minerals, &c. • 

 To underftand the procels of nature in thebufinefs of 

 Vegetation, it is to be confidered, that there is in ve- 

 getables a principle of life, and this is differently 

 feated ; there are fome who fuppofe it is feated ex- 

 aftly between the trunk and the root, which they fay 

 is obfcrved to be the place of its pofition^ in all or 

 moft of the feminiferous tribe } but if the Oak and 

 fome other trees be included in that general title, and 

 their bodies be cut down near that place, ir is odds if 

 they ever fhoot a^ain, or at leaft to any purpofe. 

 In fome trees it is only the roots which vegetate, fo 

 that let them be cut into a:^ many pieces as reafonably 

 may be, if thefe pieces are but planted in the ground, 

 they quickly grow, as is feen in the Elm, &c. and 

 in many other trees. 



In fome it is feated both in the roots, and all over the 

 trunk and branches, as in the vimineous or Willow 

 kinds, which, if they be cut into a thoufand pieces, it 

 is fcarce poffible to deftroy or kill them, unlefs they 

 are ffripped of both their barks ; for if you plant them 

 in the earth but the length of three or four inches, 

 cither the roots or branches will 

 again 



certainly grow 



fli 



• — * 



In fome it ik founcj 'Entirely in the body, branches, or 

 leaves, and of this kind are many of the exotics, which 

 being of a fucculeht nature, if the trunk or branches, 

 or the leaves and ftem^^ be put into the ground, they 

 will ftrike root immediately, and grow, as in the Ce- 

 reufes, Ficoides, Sedums-, '^&c. nay, fo ftrong is the 

 principle of life in this kind of plants, that if they 

 be hung a confiderable time in the air without any 

 earth, water," &c. they will maintain their natural 

 verdure, and alfo this principle of life, 'admirably^ by 

 their fucculent quality. . /^ ; ' -^' ' : 



The ufe of this principle of life is accouhtecl to be for 

 the conco6tion of the indigefted lalt'S', 'which afccnd 

 through the roots, where they are fuppofed tb affimu- 

 late the nature of the tree they are helping to form, 

 though perhaps the root may likewife affift in the 



work. ^ ^.. -.. 



Thefe things being prefuppofed, in the fpring of the 

 year, as foon as the fun begins to warm the earth, 

 and the rains melt the latent falts, the whole work of 



— 



Vegetation is fet on foot ; then thq emulgent fibres 

 feek for food, which has been prepared as aforefaid; 

 It is very rational to fuppofe that a great part of the 

 roots are formed under ground during the winter 

 feafon, becaufe in all lands there is always an innate 

 heat, which feems to be a natural vital quality, or ni- 

 trous fermentation. ■ / ' 

 The roots, by feeking out and affuming thofe ni- 

 trous falts, are immediately (by the courfe of nature, 

 and the attraftivc virtue or the fun) drawn upwards 

 to the vital principle, and, after concoftion, afcend ftill 

 higher into the Item, and break out firft in- the buds, 

 the Ihelly and tendereft part of the whole machine, 

 and afterwards diffufe themfelves into the leaves, 

 flowers, fruits, &c. which lie inveloped therein, ac- 

 cording to their natural frames, &c. 

 There are fome who fuppofe that fubterraneoias fires 

 are concerned' in the work of Vegetation, or the 

 growth of plants, yet as, upon the befl obfervation 

 that, can be made, none can pretend to have difco- 

 vei-ed'any heator fumigation to ifluefrom the bowels 

 of the earth, adequate to the meaneft artificial lire, it 

 k olain that the lun is the Drinciole, and fo may be 



:h the 

 >-efficicms 



V E G 



called the father of Vegetation, and the 

 nioclier, the rain and air being ncceflary 

 in this furprifmg work. 



It is apparent, by the ule of ir/icrofcopes, that plants 

 confift of different parts, veffcls &c. analogous to 

 thoie of animals, aivd each kind of veffcl is fuppofe J 

 to be the vehicle of a different hin-nour, of juice, fc- 

 creted from the matter of the lap, which is confidered 

 as the blood, or common fund of them all. 

 Dr. Grew tarther explains this, by fayin^^ That all 

 kinds of vegetable principles aie at thefi;^; received 

 together in a plant, and are feparated afterwards i. r* 

 they are filtered fome from others in very different pro- 

 portions and conjundliohs by tlie fcvcral parts, fo every 

 partis the receptacle of a liquor, become peculiar^ 

 not by any transformation, but only by the percola- 

 fioh of parts out of the common mafs or ftock of fap, 

 ind^thofe that are fuperfluous in any plant, are dif- 

 charged back by perfpiration. . ... 



[I'he Came author affigns the offices of. the feveral vef- 

 fels : he^calls thofe veffels lympheducls, which art 

 placed on the inner verge of the bark, and thefe, he 

 fuppofesi '^I'e ^ appointed for the conveyance of the 

 moll aqueous or watery liquor. 



Thofe veffels that are in the middle of the plant, he 

 caljs laftiferotis or rVfiniferous ; thefe he takes to be 

 the principle vifcera of plants ;. and that as the vifceri 

 of animals are but toriglomerated veffels, the vifcera 

 of plants are drawn out in length- 

 It is alfo remarkable iri many cafes. That the multi- 

 tude and largenefs of the veffcls produce a fweet and 

 vinous fap, and the fewnefs and fmallnefs of the vef- 

 fels produce an oily and aromatic fap. - . .^ 



It feemsneceffary to the nutrition of plants, as well 

 as animals, that there be a concitfrenjcc pf two fce- 

 cifically diftant fluids -, and a certain ^uthior maintains. 

 That there is an intermixture of two fuch humours in 

 every part of a tree, every part of fap being impreg- 

 nated with other tinftures,~ arid continually fiitred 

 from fibres of one kind to thofe of another, and from 

 this mixture many of the phasnomena of the ripening, 

 odour, &c. are accounted for. 

 With regard particularly to the odour in plants. Dr. 

 Grew is of opinion, that they chiefly proceed from the 

 air-veffels that are in the wood, not byt that the other 

 parts alfo yield their fmells, which is moftplain.to be 

 perceived in plants that are frefh, undried, and uii- 

 broSfedi for he fays that the air, bringingalong with it a 

 . tjndlure from the root, and from the feveral ofganical 

 parts, and at laft entering the concave of the air-vef- 

 fels, it donfifts'there^^rfj^- s .. ;, ^^ ■; ..... i\ 



Others fay. That it cannot be denied but the effluvia^ 

 which can be admitted into the wood-veffels, may give 

 a fmell to the wood ; but however, as that vapour 

 paffes through the veffels which have a different ff ruc- 

 ture, fo as to alter the form of its parts, fo in every 

 one of its changes, it will yield a fmell different from 

 the reft. The fmeUof thewood will differ from that 

 of the bark, the juices in the one being more effential 

 than the' other -, but yet both,, being bruifed and mix- 

 ed together, yield a fcent different from either of them 

 fingly^ and likewife the leaves give a fcent that is dif- 

 ferent from either of the forrher, and fo ,alfo do the 

 flowers from that in the leaves, and ajfo the fruit from 

 tRat in the flowers 



Dr. Grew is of opiniori that the chief gbvCrtlitlg prin- 

 ciple in the juice of plants, is the faline, which fa- 

 line principle^ he fays, muft be underftood as a ge- 

 neric term, under which. divers fpbcies are compre- 

 hended. The vegetable falts fcem to be four, viz. 

 the nitrous and the acid, alkaline and marine, and of* 

 thefe the nitrous falts feenri to be afligned by nature 

 chiefly for the growth of plants. . 

 The curious Malpighius has very accurately delivered 

 the procefs of nature in the Vegetation of plants to 

 the effeft following. 



The ovum or feed of the plant, being excluded out 

 of the ovary (which is called the pod or huflc) and' re- 

 quiring, farther foftering and brooding, is committed 



■'--to 



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1 - 



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