I ^O jInESSAY on the Procefs Chap. 6. 



The Reafon why, in this Prepofition^ I fay, 

 only a great part of the Terreftrial Matter 

 that is mix'd with the Water afcends up with 

 it into the Plants is, becaufe all of it cannot. 

 The Mineral Matter is a great deal of it not 

 only ^rofs and ponderous^ but fcabrous and 

 inflexible ^ and fo not difpos'd to enter the 

 Pores of the Roots : And a great many of 

 the yfor^/^ Vegetable Particles, by degrees, iinite 

 and form fome of them fraall Clods or Molecu- 

 I Ay fuch as thofe mentioned in H, K, and L, 

 /. 124, 125, 126, flicking to the Extremities 

 of the Roots of thofe Plants. 



Others of them intangle in a loofer maimer^ 

 and form the Nubecula and green Bodies^ fo 

 commonly obferved mjiagnant Water. Tbefe^ 

 when thus co?ijoin'd^ are too big to enter the 

 Poresy or afcend up the J^ejfels of Plants, 

 which fagfy they might have done. They 

 who are converfant in Agriculture will eafily 

 fubfcribe to this. They are well aware, that, 

 be their Earth never fo rich^ fo gocd^ and fo 

 jit for the Production of Corn or other Vege^ 

 tables, litfle will come of it, unlefs the Parts 

 of it be feparated and loofe^ 'Tis on this -ac- 

 count they beftow the Pains they do in Cul- 

 ture of ir, in T)iggi'ng^ Ploughing^ Harrowing^ 

 and Breaking of the Clodded Lumps of Earth. 

 'Tis the fame way x\i?it Sea-Salt^ Nitr^, and 

 o^her Salts,- promote Vegetation. I am forry 

 I cannot fubfcribe to the Opinion of thofe 

 Learned Gentkmen^ who imagine ¥litre to be 

 ejjential to Plants^ and that nothing m tht 



Vege- 



