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i^(LIBRARY)- 



On the feeds of Trees, tvith the author s reafoning and obfervafions 

 on the poffibility of intermixi?ig two different fpecies of tree, fo 

 as to produce a third, partaking of the nature of both. A fin' 

 gular peculiarity in the feed of Cotton. 



VJ PON an accurate examination of every kind of feed, we fhall 

 difcover in it the origin or firll formation of the leaves and root of 

 the future tree or plant, according to the refpedive fpecies of fuch 

 feed. 



This is particularly obfervable in the feed of the Afh, which is 

 reprefented of its natural fize in plate XIII. fg. 1. In this feed, 

 though no bigger than here pictured, I difcovered not only two 

 leaves, but also that part froni which the root would grow, being 

 all very large in proportion to the lize of the feed. 



Again, all feeds in their formation, on the parent plant, receive 

 their nourifhment from a fmall ilalk, ftring, or ligament, conlifting 

 of many veilels through which the nutritive fubllancc is conveyed, 

 analogous to that which in animals is called the navel firing. In 

 fome feeds this flalk or ligament is very fliort, in others as long, or 

 longer than the feed itfelf. I will give fome inllances of this, be- 

 ginning with the feed of the Afli.. 



Fig. 2. A B is the half of the fhellj cafe, or covering, inclofing a 

 feed of the Alh.. A D fliews where the fmall feed E F was placed, 

 and from wlience being taken out, as reprefented in the figure, 

 there appears the firing or ligament A F, through which the whole 

 feed E F received its nourifliment, being derived from die part A, 

 which was joined to the tree, and through which alone the fame 

 can be conveyed. It is also to be obferved, that the part in the 

 feed whence the future root will proceed, is at the point F, where 

 the ligament is joined to it ; fo that the leaves of the future tree 

 when in the feed, while it is united to the parent tree, are placed,. 



