Chap. 6. of Nature in Vegetation. i S 7 



8. Water is not capable of performing this c>bferv, g, 

 Ofice to Plants^ unlefs ajfified by a due ^uan- ^'^^-^^^^ ^0^ 

 iity of Heat X, aid this mufi concur^ ^'^^^^-^^^''doCg^ £. 

 tton mil not fucceed. The Plants that V7txtgood with^ 

 fet in the GlafTes Q., R, S, &c, p. 129, m'^^^^^^Sun. 

 OScber and the following colder Months, had 

 not near the quantity of Water fent up into 

 them, or fo great an additional Encreafe, by- 

 much, as thofe that were fee in June^ J^b} 

 and the hotter. 'Tis plain. Water has n6 

 Power of moving itfelf, or rifing to the vaft 

 height it does in the more tall and lofty 

 Plants. So far from this, that it does not ap- 

 pear from any Difcovery yet made, that even 

 its own fluidity connfts in the intefiine Mo- 

 tion of its Parts ^ whatever fome, otherwife 

 very Learned and Knowing Perfons, may have 

 thought. There's no need of any thing more, 

 for folving all the Phenomena of Fluidity^ than 

 fuch a Figure and Difpofition of the Parts, as 

 Water has. Corpufcles of that make, and that 

 are all abfolutely Spherical, muft ftand fo ve- 

 ry tickly and nicely upon each other, as to be 

 fufceptible of every Imprejfion 3 and, though 

 not perpetually in Motion, yet muft be ever 

 ready and liable to be put into it, by any the 

 flighteft Force imaginable. It is true, the 

 Parts of Fire or Heat are not capable of 

 moving themfelves, any more than thofe of 

 Water ^ but they are more fubtile, light and 

 aSive than thofe are, and fo more eafily put 

 into Motion. In fine, 'tis evident and Matter 

 of F^a, that Heat does operate upon and move 



the 



