AGRICULTURE WITH CHEMISTRY^ 2? 



having undergone, by the vegetative process, their full 

 degree of concoction and maturation : whence it is ob- 

 vious, that neither the precise food of vegetables, nor 

 their component parts, can be ascertained by any ana- 

 lysis of them by fire ; at least it is not practicable with 

 the several substances, resulting from such process, to 

 recompose a juice, or fluid, similar to that by which the 

 vegetable had originally been nourished. 



v It has been stated, that by an intense degree of hea^t 

 all the component parts of vegetables, excepting the 

 .earthy, may be resolved into permanently elastic fluids, 

 or gasses ; and into the compound substance called water. 



By vegetables being thus reduced to their simple or 

 elementary principles, they are found to be composed of 

 gasses, with a small proportion of calcareous matter. Al- 

 though this discovery may appear of small moment to 

 the practical farmer, yet it is well deserving of his atten- 

 tion and notice, as it throws great light on the nature arid 

 food of vegetables, and proves that a large proportion 

 of vegetables consist of the aery form, fluids or gasses. 



x> 2 



