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unless these assisted the mother root. Fifthly, tlra 

 best of ail grain, and what affords the most whole- 

 some and agreeable nourishment is wheat. And it is 

 most patient of all climates, bearing the extremes 

 both of heat and cold. It grows and brings its seed 

 to maturity, not only in the temperate countries, but 

 also in the cold regions of Scotland, Denmark, Nor- 

 way, and Muscovy, on the one hand ; and on the 

 other, in the sultry heat of Spain, Egypt, Barbary^ 

 Mauritania, and the East Indies, nor is it less ob- 

 servable, that nothing is more fruitful. One bushel 

 when sown in a proper soil, having been found to yield 

 a hundred and fifty, and in some instances abun- 

 dantly more. 



7. It may be of use to subjoin here, first a gene. 

 rai view of vegetation, secondly, some additional re. 

 flections on the vegetable kingdom. 



And first. As to vegetation itself, we are sensible 

 all our reasonings about the wonderful operations of 

 nature, are so full of uncertainty, that as tho wise 

 man truly observes, u hardly do we guess aright at the 

 things which are uponearlh, and with labour do we 

 find the things that are before us." This is abun- 

 dantly verified in vegetable nature. For thought its 

 productions arc so obvious to us, yet are we strangely 

 in the dark concerning them, because the texture of 

 their vessels is so fine and intricate, that we can 

 trace but few of them, though assisted with the best 

 microscopes. But although we can never hope to come 

 to the bottom of the first principle of things, yet may 

 we every \vhcresee plain signatures of the hand of a 

 Divine Architect. 



All vegetables are composed of water and earth, 

 principles which strongly attract each other: and a 

 large portion of air, which strongly attracts when 

 fixjtd, but strongly repels when in an elastic state. 

 By the combination, action, and re-action of those 

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