*. ANIMALCULA OF INFUSIONS. 37 



ed. Though immediately replanted in moiftcned 

 earth, all died. As 167° was too powerfid for 

 thefe young plants, the heat was reduced to 156** 

 and 144^ ; and this was not prejudicial to them, 

 for the whole grew when replanted. 



I had already fubjefted feeds to the influence 

 of heat, but did not then think of doing the 

 fame to their plants. The feeds were beans, 

 barley, white and black kidney beans, maize, 

 vetches, parfley, fpinage, turnips, beets, radiflies, 

 and mallows. They were heated to 167^, in 

 fand, after the manner above defcribed ; and all 

 germinated. At 178°, fome began to perifli ; at 

 189^ and 201°, very few fucceeded ; and at 

 212°, only one plant of kidney beans. The ex- 

 periment was repeated at 201° and 212°, on 

 all the feeds, but not one germinated. 



My firft experiment having proved, that trefoil 

 had refifted heat better than the reft, it occurred 

 to me, that, it being the fmalleft ked, the fize 

 might perhaps concur towards the caufe. Whe- 

 ther more heat could be fuftained as the feeds 

 diminiflied, could have been afcertained by infti- 

 tuting a feries of experiments on a given number 

 of vegetable feeds gradually decreafing in fize. 

 But beans, and kidney beans, which are incom- 

 parably larger than trefoil feeds, had fupported 

 heat as well : and this induced me to abandon 

 the idea, and fpare myfelf ufelefs trouble. 



C3 It 



