37* Tie Arts, 



the feeds germinated in feveral of them j but not in tire oxiaV 

 of mercury, alcohol, ammonia, camphor, and faltpetrc : nay.,- 

 oxide of mercury, oantharides, and falts, deftr6yed vitality 

 and the property of germinating. Many of thefe mat 

 and particularly "falts, fcem to impede germinatkm, chiefly 

 by their requiring too much water For their folution, and by 

 thefc means depriving the feeds of it : for this reafon, cream 

 of tartar impeded germination the leait, beeanfe it deprived 

 the feeds the leait of water. i\fhes alfo impeded germination 

 as long as they contained foluble falts,* but as foon as they 

 were oxidated thev promoted that procefs. M. Lefebure 

 examined alfo the different depths of the earth at which feed? 

 germinate, the neceftity of drawing the carbon from the 

 earth, and of the accefs of atmofpheric air; Though many 

 cafes are known in which feeds have germinated without the 

 accefs of air, fhut up in animal bodies or in potatoes, the 

 matter of light, however, was not excluded. 



Of the different kinds of gas of which the atmofphere con- 

 lifts, germination requires oxygen alone. Carbonic acid, 

 hvdrogen, and azote, on the other hand, impeded germination 

 without deftroying vitality. Seeds grew in atmofpheric air* 

 however, mixed with dirferentfubftances, provided it contained 

 oxygen. The air in which feeds had germinated, M. Lefebure 

 found to be fureharged with carbonic acid. 



He examined alfo, in a more accurate manner, the influ- 

 ence of water on germination, and found that the more fo- 

 reign matter water is impregnated with, the moFe unfit it fe 

 for the purpofe of germination. 



THE AKTS. 



T'n order to difTufe a knowledge and infpire a tafte for the 

 tine arts, the Trench government has refolved to eftablim 

 galleries in 15 of the principal towns of the republic. The 

 principal motives for this arrangement are explained in the 

 following report, prefented to the Confuls of the French re- 

 public, by the mil fitter of the interior, 31 11 of Auguft. 



4i The mufseum of arts prefents at this moment the richeft 

 '•olleeVion of paintings and antique flames in Europe ; there 

 ate to be found all the riches which were difperfed before the 

 revolution. We may reckon at prefent 1390 pictures of the 

 foreign fchools, 270 of the autient French fchool, and more 

 than tooo of the modern fchool. It poflefils 20,000 defigns 

 of different fchools, 4000 copper-plate engravings, and 

 30,000 prints, beiides 150 antique (tatties, and the mofl va- 

 luable articles in Etrufcan vafes, tables of porphyry, &c. 



.-'The immenfe gallery opened for public infpection can- 

 not contain a moietyof the chefs cToeuvre of which the nation 

 4 fc 



