OF NATURAL HISTORY. 2-63 



plillofophical principles, and not to an hypothetical coni- 

 rnerce of fexes. 



The difcourfe was concluded with the following fentiment : 

 But I aim not at complete refutation ; for experiments are 

 Itill to be made. I only wifh to render the fexual commerce 

 of plants fufpicious, that the minds of men may be freed 

 from the fetters of a fyftem, which has, perhaps, too long 

 received the general aflent of Europe ; and that the oecono^ 

 my of the vegetable kingdom may again be open to impar,- 

 tiai inveftigation. 



To remove the poffibility of male influence being convey^ 

 ed by means of the wind, or of infe<Si:s, about ten or twelve 

 years ago, I thought, if a female plant could ripen her feeds 

 within doors during the winter, the experiment would infal- 

 libly determine the controverfy. With this view, I confin- 

 ed a female lychnis, which is a native plant of this country, 

 and gave her fuch a degree of heat as made her produce 

 flowers three months before any male flowers of the fame 

 fpecies were blown in Briiain. The flowers and the young 

 feed had every appearance of health and vigour. But the 

 plant itfeif, as ufually happens to vegetables when forced to 

 grow in unnatural fltuations, was feeble, flender, and double 

 the common length it acquires in the fields. I waited the 

 event. My expectations, however, were difappointed ; for 

 the flowers dropped long before the feeds were ripened. 

 The plant was kept three years in the fame fituation ; but 

 ftill the flowers dropped, and no ripe feeds were produced. 

 As the health of plants like that of animals, depends upon 

 many circumftances, as expofure to the open air, to light, to 

 the agitations of the wind, which to them anfwers the invig- 

 orating purpofe of exercife, to nocturnal dews, to natural 

 rains, inflead of artificial waterings, &c. I refolved to place 

 the female lychnis in a fituation where Ihe might enjoy all 

 thefe advantages, and at the fame time be removed from 



