150 Of Vegetation. 



a particular defcription of the ftru&ure of the 

 parts of Vegetables, which has already been 

 accurately done by Dr. Grew and Malpighi. 



We fee by Experiment 56. 57. 58. on di- 

 ftilled Wheat, Peas, and Muftard-feed, what 

 a wonderful provifion Nature has made, that 

 the Seeds of Plants mould be well ftored with 

 very active principles, which principles are 

 there compacted together by Him, who curi- 

 oufly adapts all things to the purpofes for 

 which they are intended, with fuch a juft 

 degree of cohefion, as retains them in that 

 ftate till the proper feafon of germination : 

 for if they were of a more lax conftitution, 

 they would too loon diffolve, like the other 

 tender annual parts of plants ; and if they 

 were more firmly connected, as in the hearc 

 of Oak, they muft neceffarily have been many 

 years in germinating, though fuppled with 

 moifture and warmth. 



When a Seed is fown in the ground, in 

 a few days it imbibes fo much moifture, as 

 to fwell with very great force 5 as we fee in 

 the Experiment on Peas in an iron pot, 

 this forcible fwelling of the lobes of the 

 Seed ar> a r y (Fig. 46.) does probably pro- 

 trude moifture and nourishment from the 

 capillary vefTels r r 7 which are called the 



Seed- 



