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gainings of leaves ; and that the young plants were three in num- 

 ber in this feed. 



Now as we fee, that the principle of vegetation, or young plant, 

 in every one of the before mentioned feeds, is capable of producing 

 two, three, four, or five llioots or ftems, according to the fertility 

 of the earth in which they are fown, we are not to wonder, that 

 from fingle grains of Wheat, Rye, Barley, or Oats, fuch numbers 

 of flioots or flraws are produced, as we obferve.' 



Among many other feeds which I examined, I obferved a re- 

 markable variation in the feed of Buck-wheat, and in my endea- 

 vours to difleft this feed, I was obliged firll to take off the hard 

 fhell, and then fleep the feed in water for feveral hours ; for the 

 leaves of the young plant were fo intimately conne6ted with the 

 mealy fubftance of the feed, that, until they had been thoroughly 

 wetted, it was impoflible to feparate them. When I had taken out 

 the young plant, I found the leaves fo twifted one among another, 

 that it was not without great difficulty, I could fpread them apart 

 by fmall pins, fo as to be diftin6lly feen, for thefe leaves were ex- 

 tremely weak and tender to handle. 



Having placed thefe leaves before the microfcope, I difcovered in 

 them a vaft number of veflels, (which, in a full grown leaf, we 

 fhould call fibres or ribs, though in fad; they are nothing but vef- 

 fels), appearing like what we fee by the naked eye in vine leaves. 

 But whereas, in the leaves of the young plants of Wheat, Rve, 

 Barley, and Oats, the veflels run lengthwife along the flem, in like 

 manner as the veflels do in thofe leaves when full grown ; on the 

 contrary, the vefl'els in the leaves of the young plant in Buck- 

 wheat are fpread all over the leaves, in like manner as may be 

 feen in the leaf of that plant when come to its full growth. I 

 fhould have given a drawing of this young plant, as feen by the 

 microfcope, were it not that it would have taken up too much room 

 on the paper ; for, (contrary to other young plants that occupy 

 but a fmall part of the feed) thefe young plants fpread all over the 



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