On Rain, Evaporation, &e. 369 
down declivities of the ground into vallies or 
lower parts, at Paris as well as here, and being 
accumulated may penetrate into the earth to a 
considerable depth; especially if it meet with 
channels or chasms of any kind, or declining 
Strata of earth that are impenetrable by water. 
Paris, I believe, however, is not very liberally 
supplied with springs, as might be expected. As 
to the experiment upon vegetation, it only proves 
that the rain in spring and summer is sometimes 
not sufficient to support vegetable life, a fact 
which may readily be granted; but then in his 
experiment the plants were precluded from a 
supply of moisture from the earth beneath the 
vessel, which is a reserve of the utmost conse- 
quence in dry seasons, 
This circumstance of water ascending again 
in the earth, on whatever principle it is effected, 
cannot be denied.—There were 43 inches of rain 
here in July last, none of which passed through 
the earth in the evaporating vessel ; this earth, 
however, at the end of the month, was far from 
that degree of dryness which is unfit for the 
support of vegetation.—During the first four 
days of August there fell about 3 inches of rain, 
and only 3 an inch penetrated through the earth 
‘in the evaporating vessel, Consequently 3 feet 
in depth of earth that was moderately moist im-' 
bibed nearly 3 inches of rain before it was satur- 
