lo8 OF VEGETABLE ANIMATION. SECT. XIII. 2. 



Whence it appears that the buds of deciduous trees 

 are fo many annual plants, that the bark is a con- 

 texture of the roots of each individual bud ; and 

 that the internal wood is of no other ufe but to 

 fupport them in the air, and that thus they refera- 

 ble the animal world in their individuality. 



The irritability of plants, like that of animals, 

 appears liable to be increafed or decreafed by habit ; 

 for thofe trees or fhrubs, which are brought from 

 a colder climate to a warmer, put out their leaves 

 and bloflbms a fortnight fooner than the indige- 

 nous ones. 



ProfefTor Kalm, in his Travels in New York, 

 obferves that the apple-trees brought from England 

 bloffom a fortnight fooner than the native ones. 

 In our country the fhrubs, that are brought a de- 

 gree or two from the north, are obferved to flou- 

 rifh better than thofe, which come from the fouth. 

 The Siberian barley and cabbage are faid to grow 

 larger in this climate than the fimilar more fouthern 

 vegetables. And our hoards of roots, as of pota- 

 toes and onions, germinate with lefs heat in fpring, 

 after they have been accuftomed to the winter's 

 cold, than in autumn after the fummer's heat. 



II. The ftamens and piftils of flowers fhew evident 

 marks of fenfibility, not only from many of the 

 ftamens and fome piftils approaching towards each 

 other at the feafon of impregnation, but from many 

 of them clofing their petals and calyxes during the 

 cold parts of the day. For this cannot be afcrib- 

 ed to irritation, becaufe cold means a defect of the 

 ftimulus of heat ; but as the want of accuftomed 

 ftimuli produces pain, as in coldnefs, hunger, and 

 thirft of animals, thefe motions of vegetables in 

 doling up their flowers muftbe afcribed to the difa- 

 greeable fenfation, and not to the irritation of cold. 

 Others clofe up their leaves during darknefs, which, 



like 



