THE 



PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE. 



JULY 1800. 



I. An Account of fome Expet-ments on the Fecundation 

 of Vegetables, In a Letter froiri Thomas Andrew 

 Knight, Efq. to the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks^ 

 K.B.P.R.S.* 



X H E rcfult of fome experiments which I have amufed 

 niyfelf in making on plants, appearing to me to be intereft- 

 ing to the naturalift, by proving the exiftence of fuperfoeta- 

 tion in the vegetable world, and being likely to conduce to 

 fome improvements in agriculture, I have taken the liberty 

 to communicate them to you. 



The breeders of animals have very long Entertained an 

 opinion, that confiderable advantages are obtained by breed- 

 ing from males and females not related to each other. Though 

 this opinion has lately been controverted, the number of its 

 oppofers has gradually diminifhed ; and I can fpeak from my 

 own obfervation and experience, that animals degenerate, in 

 fue at leaft, on the fame pafture, and in other refpefts under 

 the fame management, when this procefs of croffing the 

 breed is neglected. 



The clofc analogy between the animal and vegetable world, 

 and the fexual fyRem equally pervading both, induced me to 

 fuppofe, that fimilar means might be produftive of fimilar 

 effects in each ; and the event has, I think, fully juttified 

 this opinion. The principal ohjeil 1 had in view, was to 

 obtain new and improved varieties of the apple, to fupply the 



* From 'Tranfaillani of t'r; Royal S'iciely of Lor.ddti f.r 1799, 



VoL.VIL O place 



