314 Experiments and Obfervations 
-in a dark room, where the mean height of the ther- 
mometer was fifty-eight degrees during the experi- 
ment. At the end of four days, the three drams 
of barley, in the large bottle, had vegetated much ; 
but the greater quantity, in the lefs bottle, had not 
produced one fprout. The fame change in fmell 
‘was however obferved, which I have noted in the 
former cafes. Hence it is evident, that a free com- 
munication with the atmofphere is not abfolutely 
required, to bring the vegetative principle of feeds 
into action. On the other hand, it is equally 
manifeft, both from this and the preceding experi- 
ment, that a given quantity of grain muft be 
placed ina given quantity of air to make it vege- 
tate.* 
Exrrrmment III. Since permanently elaftic fluids 
efcape very copioufly from vegetables, fubjected to 
the vinous and putrefactive fermentations, it might 
be fuppofed, that the fame thing happens with feeds 
in the act of vegetating; and that this difcharge 
being fuppreffed, for want of room, in the {mall bottle 
fed in the laft experiment, the expanfion of the 
Germs was thereby prevented. In order to examine 
this matier with fome care, I began with putting 
feveral 
* The fecond and fucceeding experiments were repeated? 
in the Autumn of this year (1793); when the prefent con- 
clufions, founded on the new theory of chemiftry, were alfo 
added, 
