OFNATURE. 59 



and divide into branches. And there is the 

 more reafon for thinking fo, becanfe we know 

 that a tree will grow in an inverted fituation, 

 viz. the roots being placed upwards, and the 

 head downwards, and buried in the ground ; 

 for then the branches will become roots, and 

 the roots will produce leaves, and flowers. The 

 lime-tree will ferve for an example, on which 

 gardeners have chiefly made the experiment. 

 Yet this by no means overturns the dodrine, 

 that all vegetables are propagated by feeds ; fmce 

 it is clear that in each of the foregoing inflian- 

 ces nothing vegetates but what was part of a, 

 plant, formerly produced from feed, fo that, 

 accurately fpeaking, without feed no ncv/J)lan^ 

 is produced. 



Thus again plants produce feeds, but they 

 are entirely unfit for propagation, unlefs foe- 

 cundation precedes, which is performied by an 

 intercourfe between different {(txts^ as experi- 

 ence tefl:ifies. Plants therefore mufl: be pro-^ 

 vided with organs of generation ; in which re- 

 lpe6t they hold an analogy with animals. 

 Since in every plant the flower always precedes 

 the fruit, and the fcecundated feeds viflbly 

 arife from the fruit ; it is evident that the or* 

 gans of generation are contained in the flower, 



which 



