Of Vegetation. 325 



Vanced age, when their quantity of oil is in- 

 creafed with their greater maturity. 



Whence we find that Nature's chief bufi- 

 nefs in bringing the parts of a Vegetable, efpe- 

 cially its fruit and feed, to maturity, is to com- 

 bine together in a due proportion, the more 

 adlive and noble principles of fulphur and air, 

 that chiefly conftitute oil, which in its moft 

 refined ftate is never found without fome de- 

 gree of earth and fait in it. 



And the more perfect this maturity is, the 

 more firmly are thefe noble principles united, 

 Thus Rhenifh Wines, which grow in a more 

 northern climate, are found to yield their 

 Tartar, /. c. by Exper. 73. their incorporated 

 air and fulphur, in greater plenty, than the 

 ftronger Wines of hotter countries, in which 

 thefe generous principles are more firmly 

 united: And particularly in Madeira Wine, 

 they are fixt to fuch a degree, that that Wine 

 requires a confiderable degree of warmth, 

 fuch as would deftroy the more delicate tex- 

 ture of many other Wines, to keep it in order, 

 and give it a generous tafte ; and 'tis from 

 the fame reafon, that fmall French Wines are 

 found to yield more fpirit in diftillation, than 

 ftrong Spanifi Wines. 



Y 2 But 



