254 



THE PHILOSOPHY 



"Why, then, fliould an inconfiderable change in the conftitution of a 

 colewort, or a turnip, excite furprife ? Plants are liable to be diver- 

 fified by numberlefs accidents. Perpetually fixed to the fame local 

 fituation, they muft receive, indifcriminately, fuch nourifhment as is 

 tranfmitted to them by the earth and air. When different kinds 

 happen to grow very near each other, and, as they have not the 

 choice of rejeding fuch food as is prefented to them, may not exu- 

 dations from the one be abforbed by the roots of the other ? May 

 not the matter which tranfpires fo copioufly from the leaves and 

 flowers of one plant be conveyed to, and abforbed by, thofe of a 

 different kind ? And may not this foreign nourifhment occafionally 

 introduce fome changes in the colour, texture, or flavour, of the 

 leaves, flowers, or fruit? Nay, is it not reafonable to fuppofe, that 

 foUitions of various mineral fubftances, the adion of particular ma- 

 nures, and a thoufand other circumftances, may often induce fuch 

 changes ? Why, then, fhould we have recourfe to unnatural and 

 llrained analogies, when the phenomena may be folved upon the 

 principles of found philofophy? 



The learned Dr Hope, late ProfeflTor of Botany in the Univerfity 

 of Edinburgh, who was a ftrenuous fupporter of vegetable fexes, 

 thought he had almoft eftabliflied the theory by the following ex- 

 periment upon the lychnis dioica, of which two varieties are natives 

 of Scotland, the one bearing white, and the other red flowers. The 

 Doctor, about twelve years ago, raifed a white female and a red 

 male under the fame glafs-bell, which was funk fo far in the foil as 

 to prevent all communication with other vegetables. The bell ter- 

 minated in a tube, which, for the occafional introdudion of a little 

 frefh air, was fluffed with mofs. The feeds of the white female 

 were fown next feafon ; and, inftead of white, the plants produced 

 red flowers, in confequence, it was imagined, of the influence of the 

 male upon the female. He likewife afl'erted, that the red kind, 



when 



