78 ANALYSIS OF PLANTS. 



essential to the development of plants in a va- 

 riety of ways. 



First. As one or more of these salts is a com- 

 ponent part of every plant that exists, it may 

 be thence fairly presumed that its presence is 

 absolutely necessary. 



Again. Plants growing in a situation where 

 these substances are not to be met with, are 

 diminutive in size, their organs are not fully 

 developed, and in many instances they perish 

 altogether after having attained a certain 

 growth; and lastly, soda, lime, magnesia, and 

 phosphorus, enter largely into the structure of 

 the bones and teeth ; and as all animals are de- 

 pendant on vegetation for their support, either 

 directly or indirectly, and as no other means 

 naturally exist for supplying these necessaries 

 to the animal frame, it is not, perhaps, saying 

 too much, when it is humbly presumed that 

 this property of plants, may have been intended 

 as the means of supplying these substances to 

 the animal frame. And if this view of the case 

 is correct, it cannot fail to exalt our ideas of 

 the harmony that exists in all parts of the cre- 

 ation, of the admirable adaptation of the means 

 to obtain a given end, in thus making the ne- 

 cessities of one part of the creation serve as a 

 benefit to the other. 



It is here also worthy of remark, that plants 

 generally possess the power of assimilating, 

 either of the principal alkalis, soda, or potash 

 indiscriminately, and either appears equally 

 adapted to the nutrition of the plant ; for in- 

 stance, wheat manured with either the nitrates 



