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fiiell, and by this means, the nut receives its nourifhment ; for it is 

 not united to its Ihell in any other place. 



To exhibit this to the eye, I caufed a drawing to be made of the 

 bark or fliell containing the Nutmeg, after the leaves of Mace had 

 been ftrij^ped off", and having alfo firfl: loofened from it the firing 

 through the veflels in which nourilhment is conveyed, leavingonly the 

 firing affixed to the part where it enters through the bark, to Ihew 

 more plainly the place where the nut receives its nourifliment. 



Fig. 18, O PQ, reprefents the bark or Ihell wherein the Nutmeg 

 is inclofed ; Q R, is the firing, confifling of multitudes of veflels which 

 convey nourifhment to the nut; O and O exhibit the furrow or 

 creafe wherein the firing lay before it was pulled out. This firing I 

 cut into very thin flices, fome of which I placed before the micro- 

 fcope, that I might the better difcern the great number of veffels in 

 them, of which I caufed a drawing to be made, as nearly as they 

 could be diflinguilhed and reprefented. This is fhewn in /^. ig, 

 A B C D E, being one of the flices I have mentioned, cut obliquely, 

 and magnified. 



Now, if we contemplate the incredible number of veflels in fo 

 fmall a firing, (for that which infig.iS is fliewn at Q R, is, in 

 reality twice the fize of the real firing, becaufe I did not flrip it of 

 the fkin which covered it, lefl I fhould injure the veflels it contained) 

 befides thofe which the fight cannot reach, we mufl conclude, and 

 be afl'ured, that there is not a \eiVe\ m a full grown Nutmeg tree, for 

 whatever ufe it may be deftined, but there is a fimilar one in this 

 firing ; otherwife it could not communicate to the young plant 

 in the Nutmeg, all the veflels requifite for the formation of the future 

 tree and fruit. 



In a word, the inconceivable perfedlions whiqji are contained in 

 thefe firings of plants, and confequently in every feed, are to us in- 

 comprehenfible, and, ftill more, infcrutable. 



