334 Of Vegetation. 



I marked in the fame manner as the Vine, 

 at the proper feafons, young Honeyfuckle 

 {hoots, young Afparagus y and young Sun- 

 Jlowers - y and I found in them all a gradual 

 fcale of unequal extenfions, thofe parts ex- 

 tending moft which were tendereft. The 

 white pare of the Afparagus % which was 

 under-ground, extended very little in length, 

 and accordingly we find the fibres of the 

 white part very tough and ftringy : But the 

 greateft extenfion of the tender green part, 

 which was about four inches above the 

 ground when I marked it, feparated the marks 

 from a quarter of an inch to twelve inches 

 diftance > the greateft diftention of the Sun- 

 flower was from -i inch to four inches di- 

 ftance. 



From thefe Experiments it is evident, that 

 the growth of a young bud to a {hoot con- 

 fifts in the gradual dilatation and extenfion 

 of every part, the knots of a fhoot being 

 very near each other in the bud, as may 

 plainly and diftindlly be feen in the flit bud 

 of the Vine and Fig-tree , but by this gra- 

 dual diftenfion of every part, they are ex- 

 tended to their full length. And we may 

 eafily conceive how the longitudinal capil- 

 lary tubes ftill retain their hollownefs, not- 



with- 



