175 



stage of its decomposition, where we must suppose 

 it to escape, like the other elements of the body, 

 from the dissolution of those affinities by which they 

 were held together. From the whole, therefore, we 

 are led to conclude, that the carbon of the seed, by 

 the action of the imbibed water, is reduced to a state 

 capable of combining with oxygen gas at the ordi- 

 nary temperature of the atmosphere, and that k 

 passes off from the seed with the moisture exhaled 

 from it. 



138. If any cause obstruct the emission of this 

 water and carbon, germination is either partially or 

 wholly prevented, as the following experiments will 

 prove. Equal numbers of steeped peas were sup- 

 ported by two hoops in two equal jars of atmosphe- 

 ric air ; but the peas of one jar were previously 

 dipped in oil. Both jars were then inverted over 

 mercury, and placed in a room beside each other. 

 The oiled peas in a few days had sprouted about 

 one-third of an inch, while the radicles of the others 

 were more than an inch in length. The air of the 

 jar in which the oiled peas had been confined was 

 diminished but little by agitation with lime water ; 

 while that of the other jar rendered the lime water 

 quite milky, and lost nearly one-fifth of its bulk. 

 The same results were obtained when varnish was 

 applied over the peas instead of oil, very little car- 

 bonic acid being formed, and the residual air still 

 retaining ~ of oxygen ; while the residual air of the 

 jar in which other peas had for the same time been 

 growing, when freed from carbonic acid, contained 

 no oxygen gas at all. In like manner, if the im- 

 bibed water be too rapidly abstracted, the growth of 



