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7. Vegetables multiply by shoots. They push forth 

 from the circumference of their root several succours, 

 which become plants themselves, and propagate their 

 species in like manner : the branches and young shoots 

 may likewise be considered as ingrafted on the principal 

 plant, making one body with it. The germs, which 'are 

 dispersed within the plant, infold themselves (here with- 

 out any sensible fecundation, and reach to the surface 

 of the bark ; they appear there in the form of a small 

 oblong and rounded body, composed of several parts, 

 ranged in a very regular manner, and shaped like tubes, 

 shells, &c. This little body is the lud, v hich, like the 

 seed, incloses the young plant under several coverings, 

 all the parts of which are completed with abundance of 

 art. 



The little stalk shoots forth a similar bud at its upper 

 extremity : this bud opens, and produces a second 

 stalk, grafted on the first, which it lengthens. This new 

 stalk produces a third; the third a fourth, and so on 

 successively. When the tree has attained its full growth, 

 it is composed of a series of small trees, placed end to 

 end. It is the same with respect to branches and 

 boughs, all having one and the same life, and forming 

 only one organical whole. 



Bulbous plants, instead of young shoots, send forth 

 suckers. The bulb, which is formed of several mem- 

 branes, or coats, placed on each other, contains, in like 

 manner as the seed and bud, a plant in miniature. The 

 sucker is a small bull) that shoots out on the sides of 

 the principal one, and .which is designed to succeed or 

 replace it : sometimes this replacing i^ pfiiormed with 

 such quickness and circumstances as art very surprising. 

 Whilst the principal bulb is wasting, the sucker thickens 

 and spreads itself, and in a short time becomes the 

 principal bulb. 



\Ve may compare this bulb to a species of earth, that 

 exhausts itself in order to furnish suitable juices to the 

 young plant : it may also be looked upon as <.-. placenta, 

 that filtres and prepares the nutritious juice. The ituves 



