On the PkysiologT/ of Fegetables. 179 



impossible to conciliate; yet, when joined together, they appear 

 so consistent as not once to contiarlict or confuse each other : — 

 the God of Nature alone could do this. That 1 have in vain for 

 the last two years gone over and retraced every part : — the more 

 I dissect, the more absolute my belief becomes. And where are 

 the facts strong enough to make us sufficiently incredulous to 

 deny our evesight ? Nowhere, but in a few murdul ed propositions^ 

 most of them showing their falsehood by contradicting each 

 other. 



It is impossible to give to the public a complete series of facts, 

 copied from Nature, and which forms a quarto in itself, in a 

 more disadvantageous manner than the present, since the first 

 letter is forgotteti before the second is read, especially as these 

 facts (like a mathematical problem) all hang on each other, and 

 depend much on their general consistency for the proof of their 

 truth: — but I have already sacrificed sixteen years, and to hazard 

 fortune on the publication also, is too much. Before I close 

 my proposition respecting the flower-bud, I must add one 

 proof, which I have shown to many. When a quantity of young 

 buds have just aj^peared above the stalk (suppose in umbelliferous 

 flowers), if the first set are cut off, the aperture in which the 

 flowers are rising up, is often so hollow and clear, that, look 

 down near half a line, and you see the other flowers and buds 

 comins; up to supply the place of the dilapidated ones, or those 

 which iiave died away. Sure this also cannot be vain ; it must 

 prove the flower is formed below, or all Nature is a deception ! 

 But we prefer gaining by reasoning, rather than by our eyes ; 

 the latter often much more just, and more to be trusted to. I 

 must add, that experiments made on the living tree (if it is to 

 stop ?my vessels, ox alter the course of nature) are not to he trusted. 

 I experienced this in cutting oif half a bean, and replacing it in 

 the earth : the root, instead of coming out at the top, at the same 

 orifice as the stem (as it always does), took a shorter road, and left 

 the bean at ths place it v>'as cut. In this manner Natur.e will 

 deceive us — if the proper passage is stopped, it will form a new 

 one for itself. But watch her, and she will ever be found the 

 same: ar.d if I only lay open a plant (without attempting to stop 

 its vessels), \t will, though lauguidlv, contimic its motions for 

 near an hour, because its functions are all lengthways; and I shall 

 not have impeded auv of its actions, but only displayed them. 

 The flowers therefore will continue to rise for a short time,owing 

 to the motion of the nmsclcs. 



I now turn to my second proposition ; " That the leaves are 



the lungs of the plant." This is universally allowed ; yet 1 utvor 



heard a reason given ^^ why they art >c/." For the leaves 



M 2 i'orming 



