E III ] 



iifed in the folution, or to fome fccret caufe not dif- 

 covered,< and poflibly not capable of being dif-' 

 covered, by the e^Jperimentor. 



By repeating and varying thefe experiments, it 

 would be eafy todifcover, whether fertility is pro- 

 motable by deeping a longer or a left time in wa- 

 ter ; and 2dly, if water in which a good quantity 

 of fait has been diflblved, does not encourage and 

 promote vegetation more than fimple water ? — 

 If itfhould be found to do fo in any confiderablc 

 degree, I cannot have a doubt but a ftrong lixivium 

 made of wood afhes would promote it much more. 

 I have always been of opinion, that fuch men- 

 flruums were ufelefs, or at moil, that their aids at 

 beft extended no further thah the firft rudiments of 

 plants i but the fa6l recited above ftrongly inclines 

 me to repeat the experiment, in order, if pofTible, to 

 fully afcertain the fads. 



In the next place I propofe to give an account 

 of an experiment made with the five grains men- 

 tioned above, which were fmutty at one end, and 

 found at the other. Thefe were fet in a fmall gar- 

 den-pot like the former, one^ of which only came 

 up. In the fpring it feemed to want more rooms I 

 therefore dug a- hole in the ground, and, taking the 



mould 



