On the Gcimiiuition of ^eeds. l6l 



of r'035 cubic inch of carbonic acid. This refult approaches 

 as near the truth as can be expecled in an experiment made 

 with mafl'es of air fo exceedingly fmall. 



Exptr'imcnt III. 



I introd;iced into a receiver clofed with quickfilver, 40 

 cubic inches of atmofpheric air purified by lime-water. In 

 this air I placed a conical glafs with fmall flints, which I 

 moiftened with two cui>ic inches of water, and dcpoiited on 

 them four beans. At the end of fourteen days all the beans 

 had thrown out roots of from four to five lines in length : I 

 then took them out, and tried their atmofphere. No fen- 

 fible change in the volume was obfervcd. I.imc-water 

 fliowed O'lo of carbonic acid gas; the phofphoric eudiome- 

 ter, after this sas was dcduclcd, contained 0*13 oxygen gas, 

 or o-o8 lefs than atmofpheric air. This mixture with atnio- 

 fpheric air gave a refiduum equal to 105 part;. According 

 to this refult, we find, if we add to the quantity of oxy- 

 gen gas indicated by the phofphoric eudiometer 0"o6, that 

 during the experiment 3*96 cubic inches of oxygen gas dif- 

 appeared, and were employed in the formation of four cubic 

 inches of carbonic acid gas. The beans appear, therefore, 

 in the atmofpheric air to have abforbcd no oxygen gas. 



ExptTtnit'nf 11-^. 



I put 60 grains of barlev. with 4- cubic inch of water, into 

 a receiver clofed with quickfilver, and which contained 18 

 inches of atmofpheric air purified by lime-water. The 

 greater part of the grains of the barley remained adherina; to 

 tlic moifiened fides of the receiver : the reft floated half under 

 wat'^r upon the quickfilver. After the feeds had germinated, 

 their atmofphere was increafed, the changes of temperatiire. 

 and the prelfure of a quantity Imperceptible to the eve being 

 taken into confideration. Lime-water fliowed /oVo c^iiibonic 

 acid gas : the phofphoric eudiometer, after dedufting the car- 

 bonic acid gas, o'lx of oxvgcn gas, or o'lo lefs than atmo- 

 fpheric' air. A hundred parts of nitrous gas, mixed in an 

 equal portion with this air, left a refiduum of 138 parts : the 

 n)ixture with atmorpheric air gave a refiduum of 105 parts. 



Vol. VII. y From 



