Royal Society. 371 
thro' which it paffes, confifts 5 the grofler particles indeed aro 
not fo eafily borne up into the atmolphere, but arc ufually de- 
pofited on the furface of the flowers, leaves, and other parts of 
the plants^ hence arife our manna, honey, and other gummous 
exfudations of vegetables 3 but the finer and lighter parts arc 
with greater eafeVent up into the atmofphcre j and thence they 
are convey'd to our organs of fmell by the air we draw in by 
refpiration, and are pleafant oroffenfive, beneficial, or noxious, 
according to the nature of the plants from whence they arife 5 
and fince thefe owe their origin to the water, that afcends out 
of the earth thro' the bodies of plants, we cannot be far to feek 
for the caufe, why they are more numerous in the air, and 
why we find a greater quantity of odours exhaling from vege- 
tables in warm, humid feafons, than in any others whatever. 
9. A great part of the terreftrial matter, that is mixed with 
the water, afcends up into the plants, as well as the water it- 
felf 5 for there was much more terreflrial matter at the end of 
the experiment in the water of the glafles F and G that h^d no 
plants in them, than in thofe that had j the gardcMi mtuLl 
diffolved in the glafifes K and L was confiderably dimini hed, 
and carried offj nay the terreftrial and vegetable matter ^.li* 
borne up in the tubes filled with fand, cotton, ^c. in lach a 
quantity as to be evident even to fenfe. Our (hores and parts 
within the verge of the fea will prefent us with a large Icene 
of plants, that along with the vegetables, take up mere mine- 
ral matter alfo, in great abundance 5 fuch are the fea-purilains, 
the feveral forts of Algas, of famphires. and other marine 
plants, which contain common fea-falt which is all the fa.ne 
with the fofli]e,in fuch plenty, as not only to be pLiinly dilhn- 
guidied on the palate, but extrafled from them inconfiderable 
quantities. How apt this vegetable matter, being la very fine, 
and ligl'.r, is to attend water in all its motions and follow it Jnto 
each of its recefles, is manifefl from the infl.inces above alled- 
ged and many others that might be given. The Doclor filtred 
water thro' feveral fneets of thick paper, and after that, thro' 
very clofe fine cloth, iz times doubled, nay, he had done this 
over and over, and yet after all a confiderable quantity of that 
vegetable matter difcovered itfelf in the water 5 it is true filtering 
of water intercepts Ibme of the earthy matter it was before 
impregnated withal; but then that which continues in the 
water after this, is fine and light, and fuch confequently as is 
in a peculiar manner fit for the growth and nouriHiment of 
vegetablesj and this is the cafe of rain-water, where the ^uan- 
A a a a tity 
