xo Generation of Plants. [B<jok VIII. 



ceous matter, which ferves to abfor'o moifture, 

 and to furnifh nourifhrrient to the corculum till its 

 parts are fufficiently unfolded to draw fupport from 

 the foil. A kidney-bean or lupine, when it has been 

 foaked for fome time in water, and begun to fwell, is. 

 eafily fepafated into its two lobes ; and. between thefe . 

 is difplayed the nafcent plant. The naked eye can 

 eafily difcern the Gem, arid its connexion with the 

 Jobes. Through the lobes are diffufed innumerable 

 yefTels, which immediately communicate with the 

 embryo plant. On the external fur face of tire feed 

 are abforbent veffels, which attract the moifture j 'by 

 this moifture a degree of fermentation is produced, 

 and thus a juice is prepared by a natural procefs in 

 eyery refpect proper for the nourifhment of the plant 

 in its firll efforts to extend its tender frarne. The 

 plant in its infancy is almoft a gelatinous fubftance, 

 ' an4 increafes and indurates by degrees ; and I believe 

 in general the hardnefs of wood bears a pretty exact 

 proportion to the flownefs with which a plant increafes. 

 That part of the ftem which is next the root is the firft 

 which affumes the woody texture,. 



M. Bonnet, in order to ascertain how far the lobes 

 of the feed were neceiTary to the growth and health 

 of the corculum, detached them with great dexterity 

 without a vital injury to the infant plant. Some 

 French-beans treated in this manner, and fowed in a 

 light foil, grew, but the confequence was, that not only 

 the firft leaves were much fmaller, but the plants ' 

 were uniformly weaker in every part of their growth 

 than others, which for the fake of companion were 

 fown at the fame time without being mutilated. The 

 feeds which were deprived of the lobes put forth 

 fewer blofToms, and produced lefs feed. " The feeds of 

 moffes are naturally devoid of lobes. The firft leaves 



which 



