Ill 



CHAP. VI. 



Of Vegetable Economy. 



HERE is no source of physical relations that is 

 more abundant than the economy of organized bodies, 

 let us cast an eye on what it oilers to us on the most in- 

 teresting nature. Our plan does not lead us to dive 

 into a subject that exhausts the sagacity of a philosopher. 



Organical ECONOMY, taken in the most extensive 

 sense, is that system of laws according to which the vital 

 functions operate in organized bodies. 



Considered in a less view, organical economy pre- 

 sents us with two classes of objects : the first compre- 

 hends the structure, arrangement, and exercise of the 

 different parts of organized bodies : the second com- 

 prises the various effects that result from organization. 



2. The plant vegetates, is nourished, grows, and mul- 

 tiplies. The saline, unctuous, and subtle sline, which 

 the water separates from the coarse earth, and keeps in 

 a dissolved state, is the principal nutriment of plants. 

 The different species of manure only contribute to the 

 fertilizing of land, in proportion, as they hitrooure into 

 it a great quantity or a spor.gy powder or active salt. 

 If a natural philosopher succeeds in raising plants, and 

 causing them to bear iunvt-rs and fruits in other matters 

 than earth, for instance in the powder ot rotitn wood, 

 deal, saw-dust, very tine sand, moss, cotton, paper, 

 sponges ; the reason is, because several of these matters 



