Chap. 6. of Nature in Vegetation. 157 



Rays of the Sun cann't poffibly penetrate thro' 

 upon it 5 and on the contrary, by an Ele- 

 vation into a Balcony or other Building far 

 enough from the reach of thofe Subterra- 

 neous Fires, if any fuch there be : But of 

 this I Ihall fay more hereafter. 



Others may argue againft the Sun's being 

 the only Agent in this Cafe, by an Obferva- 

 tion drawn from the Snows that melt fooner 

 in low Lands than on the higheft Hills, 

 which they attribute to Subterrany Fires 5 

 if the Sun be fuch an Agent as has been all 

 this while defcribing, why are Snows in the 

 Valleys (fay they) melted fooner away, tho' 

 fo much more diftant from the Sun, than 

 thofe that fall on high Grounds, and on the 

 tops of Hills ? But this is to be attributed to 

 the Height thofe Hills are, and the nearnefs 

 of their Tops to the fuppos'd Local Situa- 

 tion of the Atmofphere or Region of Cold, 

 where the Sun has lefs Power than Below 5 

 to which may be added, the help that the 

 Springs afford in this Matter, by whofe Hu- 

 midity they are more eafily diiTolv'd. 



Tis rational to fuppofe, as I (hall elfewhere Any tree 

 endeavour to prove, that a great part of the/^^'"-^ '^^ 

 Roots are form'd under Ground during the ^^^"^^^''-^ ' 

 Winter Seafon, there being always an Innate 

 Heat in all Lands, (which perhaps fome may 

 ftill attribute to Subterraneous Fires) but I 

 rather take it to be a Natural V ital (iiality, 

 or Nitrous Fermentation 5 fince, were the 

 fame Mould elevated confiderably above the 



ordinary 



