in a Stale Jit for Vegetation. 3T 



brown moid: fugar ; concluding that the former feeds had 

 been preferred by a peculiarly javourable Jlate of moiflure 

 thus afforded to them. It occurred, likewife, that as many 

 of our common feeds, fuch as clover, charlock, &c. would 

 lie dormant for ages within the earth, well preferred for 

 vegetation whenever they might happen to be thrown to the 

 furface, and expofed to the atmofphere, fo thefe foreign feeds 

 might be equally preferved, for many months at leaf, by the 

 kindly covering and genial moifture that either raifins or 

 fugar afforded them : and this conje&ure was really fulfilled, 

 as not one in twenty of them failed to vegetate ; when thofe 

 of the fame kinds, that I ordered to be fent lapped in common 

 parcels, and forwarded with them, would not grow at all. 

 I obferved, upon examining them all before they were com- 

 mitted to the earth, that there was a prevailing drynefs in 

 the latter, and that the former looked frefh and healthy, and 

 were not in the leaft infefted by infecls, as was the cafe with; 

 the others. It has been tried repeatedly to convey feeds (of 

 many plants difficult to raife) clofed up in bottles, but with- 

 out fuccefs ; fome greater proportion of air, as well as a pro- 

 per ftate of moifture, perhaps, being necefiary. I fhould 

 alio obferve, for the fatisfacYion of the Society, that no dif- 

 ference was made in the package of the feeds, refpe£ling 

 their being kept in hufks, pods, &c. fo as to give thofe in 

 raijins ox fugar any advantage over the others, all being fent 

 equally guarded by their natural teguments. Whether any 

 experiments of this nature have been made by others, I am 

 totally ignorant; but I think that, mould this mode of con- 

 veyance be purfued (till more fatisfa&orily than I have done, 

 very eonfidcrable advantage* might refult from it. 



V. 4 



