PHYSICAL AND LITERARY. 239 



m a proper light, I mufl be allowed to fay 

 fomething in general of vegetation, and of 

 the life of dungs in promoting it. 



Vegetables which increafe by feed, as is 

 the cafe with by far the greatefl part, if not all 

 of them, are at firft planftdas wrapt up in a 

 " very fmall bulk in the end of the feed j which, 

 when put in the ground, by the moifture 

 they find there, extend themfelves, and are 

 firft nourifhed by part of the feed itfelf, 

 which does the fame office to the young plant, 

 by affording it a finer nourifhment, as the 

 flacenta does to the embryo. When the plant 

 becomes ftronger and fhoots forth its roots, 

 it then draws its nourilhment from the earth. 

 Thus it goes on growing until it has attained 

 its utmoft perfedion : after which it gra- 

 dually decays, dies, and at laft rots and pu- 

 trefies. By putrefadion, the parts of which 

 the vegetable was compofed, viz. its falts, 

 oils, phlegm and earth, are feparated : part 

 remains upon the ground where the plant 

 falls ; but the far greateft part being volatile, 

 flies up into the air, from whence it defcends 

 again upon the earth and incorporates with 

 it. The fame materials ferve to nourifh new 

 plants, there being no part of them, as we all 



know. 



