200 



tew principles all the eperations in vegetables are 

 effected. 



The particles of air distend each ductile part, and 

 invigorate their sap, and meeting with the other 

 mutually attracting principles, they are by gentle 

 heat and motion enabled to assimilate into the nou- 

 .rishinent of the respective parts. Thus nutrition 

 is gradually advanced, by the nearer a\id nearer union 

 of these principles, till they arrive at such a degree of 

 consistency, as to form the several parts of vegeta. 

 blcs. And at length byjhe flying off of the watery 

 vehicle, they are compacted into hard substances. 



But \vhen the watery particles again soak into and 

 disunite them, then is the union of the parts of vege- 

 tables dissolved, and they are prepared by putrefaction 

 to appear in some new form, whereby the nutritive fund 

 of nature can never be exhausted. 



Ail these principles are in all the parts of vege- 

 tables' But there is more oil in the more exalted 

 parts of them. That seeds abound with oil, and 

 consequently with sulphur and air. And indeed as 

 they contain the rudiments of future vegetables, it 

 was necessary they should be stored with principles, 

 that would both preserve them from putrefaction, 

 and also be active in promoting germination and ve- 

 getation. 



And as oil is an excellent preservative against 

 cold, so it abounds in the sap of the more northern 

 trees. And it is this by which the evergreens are 

 enabled to keep their leaves all the winter. 



Leaves not only bring nourishment from the lower 

 parts within the attraction of the growing fruit 5 (\vhich 

 like young animals is furnished with proper instru- 

 ments to suck it thence) but also carrv- off redundant 

 watery fluids, while they imbibe the dew and rain, 

 -which contain much salt and sulphur, for the air is 

 full of acid and sulphureous particles ; and the va- 

 rious combinations of these, are doubtless very ser- 

 viceable in promoting the work of vegetation. In. 

 deed so fine a iluid as the air is a more proper me- 



