hap. 2;] Experiments on Fruits. 17 



nion that vegetables are nourifhed in the day- time by 

 their roots^ and in the night by their leaves. 



The fame philofopher wifhed to difccr/cr whether 

 plants nourifhed by their leaves would live as long, 

 and thrive as well, as others nourifhed by their roots. 

 He plunged in fmall veffels, filled with water, plants 

 of mercury, immerfing the leaves of fome and the 

 roots of others. Pie left to each plant one or two 

 fprigsi which were kept out of the water, and which 

 were only nourifhed by the part of the plant which 

 was immerfed. He rendered all thefe fprigs as equal 

 and as much alike as poffible. He left the plants in 

 this fituation for five or fix weeks, at the end of 

 which time he could obferve no difference between 

 the fprigs uniformly nourifhed by the leaves, and thofe 

 .nourifhed by the roots. He only remarked that the 

 leaves plunged in water feemed to fuffer a little more 

 from the aclion of that fluid than the roots. M. 

 Bonnet alfo buried the top of a willow-tree, leaving 

 the roots above ground. The roots being prevented 

 from drying by a covering which did not entirely ex- 

 clude the air, piit forth leaves mixed with roots ; the 

 top, which was buried in the ground, produced roots* 

 and the plant continued to live. 



Dr. Hales, in his ftatical experiments, mentions fe- 

 veral in which he tried to change the natural flavour 

 of fruits, and to communicate thofe of fevcral fpiriruous 

 liquors, and of different odoriferous infufions. With 

 this intention he plunged in different liquors branches 

 loaded with fruit j and left them there for fome time, 

 without being able to perceive that the tafte of the 

 fruits was in the leaft altered, whether the experiment 

 was made upon them ripe or unripe. But he almoft 

 always perceived the fmell of the liquors or infuiions 

 in the ftalks of the leaves, and in the wood. He 



VOL. III. C conjectures, 



