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have been the fuccefsful adventurers, though at the 

 {^me time entirely ignorant to what caufes they owed 

 their fuccefs. We too often indeed afcribe effedls 

 to caufes which are no way connefted with them. 

 The pradlice of fuch men is more like the noftrums 

 of quacks, than the recipes of a regular phyfician^ 

 The medicine may be good, but being ignorant of 

 principles, they know not how to accommodate it 

 as different circumftances may require. 



How vegetation may be carried to the greateft 

 degree of perfecflion, by means eafily pradticable, 

 and at the fame time the moft advantageous to the 

 hulbandman, is one of the moft important en- 

 quiries that the human underftanding can be em- 

 ployed in the purfuit of. Some ingenious men, 

 however, have made the following the previous 

 queftion, " What is that fubftance, matter, or 

 thing, which is the true and only proper food of 

 plants; which enters into the veflels appointed by 

 nature to receive it, is affimilated by, and becomes 

 conftituent parts of them, augmenting their mag- 

 nitude, extenfion, and weight, from an almoft im- 

 perceptible atom to the weight of many tons, and 

 to a body of inconceivable dimenfions?" 



• This queftion feems much more curious than 

 ufeful, and is perhaps of very little confequence to 



■ the 



