THE PINE APPLE. 83 



dry weather, and that they appear impatient of 

 moisture, was the means of inducing me try which 

 would bear the greatest heat and live." 



" To ascertain what degree of heat a Pine Apple 

 plant can endure without destroying it, I filled four 

 vessels with hot water. The water in the first vessel 

 was 130 degrees hot ; that in the second 140 ; that 

 in the third 145; that in the fourth 150. Into 

 each of these vessels I put a few Pine plants, di- 

 vested of their roots, of their fibrous roots, and suf- 

 fered them to remain in the water about an hour. 

 The plants which had been immersed in the water 

 heated to 140 and 145 degrees, were a little hurt 

 in the 'extremities of their leaves, but after being 

 dried in the hot-house, they were planted, and grew 

 as vigorous as if they had not been put into hot 

 water ; the plants put into water 130 degrees warm 

 were not in the least injured ; but those put into 

 water heated to 150 degrees were entirely de- 

 stroyed. 



" By this experiment I ascertained that a vege- 

 table can endure, without hurting it, ISO degrees of 

 heat, according to the degrees on Fahrenheit's 

 thermometer. I am inclined to think that no ani- 

 mal is able to endure such a heat and live. Un- 

 doubtedly, insects increase rapidly in hot weather 

 in the open air, especially on the peach tree, and 

 on other trees, against warm walls, both in the 

 spring and summer months ; and they increase 

 most rapidly in dry weather ; but the heat in the 

 open air against walls seldom rises to 100 degrees. 



G 2 



