on the Vegetation of Seeds: 311 
Exerriment I. Having nearly filled two phials 
with barley, that had been fteeped in water for 
forty-eight hours; I corked one of them fecurely, 
and placed it in the dark. The other was buried at 
the fame time ina box of light dry mould, its mouth 
being previoufly covered with a piece of thin cloth, 
to prevent fand and other impurities from falling 
into it. The contents of the latter bottle were found, 
at the end of three days, in a ftate of vigorous vege- 
tation; every grain having one fprout, or more, of 
a confiderable length. ‘The grain in the phial which . 
was corked retained its former appearance ; but had 
contracted a fell that was difagreeable, and very 
different from that which it had when newly taken 
out of the water. 
The only juft conclufion from the preceding ex- 
periment, is, that a given quantity of foaked grain, 
either requires a given quantity Of air to make it 
vegetate, or a free communication with the atmof- 
phere at large. ‘The philofophers of the laft century 
knew, that the prefence of air is neceflary to the 
vegetation of feeds, becaufe they remain unani- 
mated in vacuo ; but, if my memory do not deceive 
me, they were ignorant of the fact juft now ftated. 
I have, therefore, given it a place in this effay, 
partly becaufe it appeared to be new; and partly 
becaufe it occafioned the fucceeding experiments, 
which are of a more/decifive nature. But, before 
Tenter on the detail, it may not be improper to 
fay 
