Sect I. Agriculture and Vegetation. 12 7 



SOME modern philofophical chymifts, 

 fuch as MeiT. El/er and Euler, are of opi- 

 nion, that water is the nourifhment of 

 plants. The latter found that onions and 

 fome branches grew in diftilled water. But 

 the experiment does not convince me, for 

 diflilled water, as well as rain-water, con- 

 tains falts and oils. He owns in the fame 

 paper, that the diftilled water, expofed to 

 the fun, recovered its falts, oils, and earth. 

 It will, then, recover the fame principles 

 when the plants grow in it. It is not ne- 

 ceflary here to enter into that nice difcu 

 fion, whether water receives thefe princi- 

 ples from the air, which I think moil pro- 

 bable, or is converted into them, which is 

 his opinion j it is fufficient for my pur- 

 pofe to fhow, that thefe principles enter 

 the veffels of the plants along with the 

 water. As I know no experiment that 

 eftablifhes this opinion, it appears to ftand 

 in oppofition to all my experiments : for 

 fome falts have ftrong vegetative powers j 



but 



