204 



:NFLtJENCE OF OXIGLN ON GERMINATION, 



oxigen. 



eleclricity, made in 1766, and publifhed in the firft edition of 

 my Hijlory of Electricity in the year following. See that edi- 

 tion, p. 598. 

 Experiment of Second P. S. After the above was written, I covered the 

 receiver "which wno ^ e P^ e w ' tn a large receiver, {landing in water, charcoal 

 completely de- being connected with the filler end of the pile, and filver 

 ie air of w ; th the z[nQ ^ jn twQ ve ffei s f water . when the f I ut j on 



of the filver took place in both the veffels, and the air within 

 the receiver- began to diminiih. The diminution having come 

 to its maximum in about a day and an half, I examined the 

 air within the receiver, and found it completely phlogifticated, 

 being not at all affected by nitrous air. There was evidently, 

 therefore, no dephlogifticated air generated, the whole refult 

 being the effect of the calcination of the zinc. This experi- 

 ment, added to that on the black calx of filter produced in this 

 procefs, and on the water in which it is made, completes the 

 proof of there being no decomposition of water in this cafe, 

 and ftrengthens the argument in favour of the doctrine of 

 phlogifion. 



IX. 



Experiments and Obfervations towards determining the Influence 

 of Oxigen on Germination. By Dr. Carradori *'. 



Hiftory of the 

 fubjeft. Au- 

 thors : Boyle, 

 Homberg, 

 Mulchenbrock, 

 Boerhaave, 

 Achard, 

 Ingenhoufz, 

 Humboldt, 

 Decandolle. 



IT was long ago afcertained, by the experiments of Boyle 

 and Homberg, that feeds require air for their germination, for 

 it was proved that they do not germinate in vacuo. This ne- 

 ceflity of air was afterwards confirmed by the experiments of 

 Mufchenbrock and Boerhaave, who had fupported the ob- 

 fervations of all times by the remark, namely, that feeds 

 buried very deep under ground do not germinate, and that a 

 great number of feeds do not even germinate under water, 

 but perifti in that fituation. When this fubject was afterwards 

 ftudied with greater attention, in order to afcertain the reafon 

 why air is indifpenfible in this operation, it was found to be 

 neceifary in confequence of the portion of vital, or oxigen air 

 which it contains : For A chard in the firft place, and after 



Journal de Phyfique, mi. Vendemiaire. 10, 



