VOL. XXI.J PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 387 



feet in height : it had shot but one considerable collateral branch ; but had sent 

 iorth many and long roots, from which sprung very numerous lesser fibres : 

 these lesser roots came out of the larger ones, on two opposite sides for tlie 

 most part; so that each root, with its fibrillae, appeared not unlike a small fea- 

 ther: to these fibrillae adhered pretty much terrestrial matter : in the wate', 

 which was at last thick and turbid, was a green substance, resembling a tine 

 thin conserve. 



The plant in i was kindly as the former, but had shot no collateral branches : 

 its roots, the water, and the green substance,, all much as in the former. 



The plant in k, though it was annoyed with many small insects, that hap- 

 pened to fix upon it, yet had shot very considerable collateral branches ; and at 

 least as many roots, as either that in h or i, which had a much greater quantity 

 of terrestrial matter adhering to their extremities. The same green substance 

 here, that was in the two preceding. 



The plant in l was much more flourishing than any of the former, having 

 several very considerable collateral branches, and very numerous roots, to which 

 the terrestrial matter adhered verry copiously. The earth in both the glasses, 

 K and J., was very sensibly and considerably wasted, from what it was when first 

 put in. The same sort of green substance here as in those above. 



The plant in M was pretty kindly, and had two small collateral branches, and 

 several roots, though not so many as that in h or i, yet as much terrestrial 

 matter adhering to them as those had. The water vvas pretty thick, having 

 very numerous small terrestrial particles swimming in it, and some sediment at 

 the bottom of the glass, but without any of t!ie green matter above-mentioned. 



The plant in n was very lively, and had sent out 6 collateral branches, and 

 several roots. The water in this glass was very turbid, and as red as ordinary 

 beer. 



O was Hyde-Park Conduit water, in which was dissolved a drachm of nitre; 

 and the mint set in it suddenly began to wither and decay ; and died in a few 

 days. As likewise did two more sprigs, that were set in it, successively. In 

 another glass I dissolved an ounce of good garden mould, and a drachm of 

 nitre : and in a third half an ounce of wood-ashes, and a drachm of nitre; but 

 the plants in these succeeded no better than in the former. 



P vvas Hyde-Park Conduit-water. In this I fixed a glass-tube about 10 inches 

 long, the bore about one 6th of an inch in diameter, filled with very fine and 

 white sand, which was kept from falling down out of the tube into the phial, 

 by tying a thin piece of silk over the lower end. On immersion of its lower 

 end into the water, this by little and little ascended quite to the upper orifice of 

 the tube. And yet, in all the 56 days which it stood thus, a very inconsiderable 



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