on the Vegetation of Seeds. ° 317 
‘twenty-three grains, their original weight. - The 
mean height of the thermometer, during the courfe 
of the experiment, was 59, 5°. I made the fame 
trial, at another time, with a bottle containing one 
ounce three drams of fteeped barley, and 6, 16 
-eubic inches of air. Befides ufing the fame pre- 
cautions obferved in the laft cafe, I frequently 
changed the air of the phial, by fucking it out 
through a flender glafs fyphon.. At the end of 
ninety-fix hours, the weight was decreafed edrs. 5 ers, 
The lofs of this fmall quantity was probably occa ° 
fioned by water efcaping through the fyphon, in 
combination with the Carbonic Acid Gas, and other 
‘permanently elaftic fluids. Thus it appears, that the . 
vegetation of feeds caufes very little diminution of 
their weight, if any at all. On the contrary, the 
vinous fermentation of vegetable fubftances, is at- 
tended with a very fenfible lofs in this re[pect. 
Neverthelefs the Carbonic Acid Gas is generated in 
both proceffes, and often fo plentifully in the latter, 
as to burft the veffels containing the fermenting 
materials, provided a free egrefs be denied it; but 
no fuch force is obfervable in the former cafe. I 
therefote found it neceffary to follow a different 
method, in order to difcover the origin of this 
gas, during the firft ftage of vegetation. 
Experiment VII. Six drams of fleeped barley 
were put into a bell-glafs, in the upper part of 
which it was fecured by a muflin ftrainer ftretched 
on a hoop of whalebone, tightly fitted co the in- 
fide 
