•3''' 



-•feed; 

 fterihi 



ire. 



ind 



ano. 



i^cds i 



111 



iinated 



a 



-ity, and 

 leclrifed, 



1 its paf- 

 3, which 



t ■ 



; opinion 

 leat; for 



pth to ve- 



m tobe- 

 and that 

 fts, con- 

 -aion of 



V ha 



two airs» 



:o induce 



of vegs- 



ith naai^y 



) 



acq 



aire 



IiTie 



nt 



o: 



Mr 



i 



I 



Sect. XIII. 3.4 



ELECTRICITY. 



3^3 



Mr Bennet. He put fome live coals into an infulated funnel of mi 

 tal, and throwing on them a little water, obferved that the afcendm 

 fleam was ekarifed plus; and the ^yater, which defcended through 



funnel, was eleftrifed minus. 

 ids by their change of form may 



Hence it appears, that though 



fometimes become eledlrlfed 

 minus, yet they h^v^ in oeneral an accumulation of pofitive elec- 

 tricity 



This accumulation of eledric matter alfo evidently 



denfed 



butes to fupport the atmofpheric vapour, when it is cor 



the form of clouds ; becaufe it is feen to defcend rapidly, aft 



flaflies of lightning have diminifhed its quantity. 



compo 



111V.U vy. .-Q o 



According to the theory of Mr. Lavoifie 

 fition and decompofition of water, there would feem another fou 

 of thunder-Oiowers; and that is, that the two gaffes termed oxy 



gas. or inflammable 



B^'^f 



may exift 



of mixtu 



but not of comb 



gas, or vital air, and hydrogen 



in the fummer atmofphere in a ft 



nation ; and that the eledric fpark, or flafh of lightning, may cor 



bine them, and produce water inflantaneoufly. 



4. A profitable application of elearicity by the gardener or ag 

 cultor to promote the growth of plants is not yet difcovered ; it 

 iieverthelefs probable, that in dry feafons the ered 



of 



X 



metallic points on the furface of 



D 



d. but a few feet h 



D 



aht in the ni2;ht time contribute to precipitate the dew by fa 



paflage of eledricity from the air into the earth 



dth 



an ere(5lion of fuch points higher in the air by means of wires wrap 

 ped round tall rods, like angle rods, or elevated on buildings, might 

 frequently precipitate (liowers from the 

 fphere. 



hi?h 



par 



of 



And laftly, that fuch points ereded in gardens might promote 



their vicinity by fupplying th 



ledric eth 



f th 



f th 



quicker vegetation of the pi; 



more abundantly with the < 



periments of the philofophers above mentioned are to be depend 



upon, which may at lead be worth a further trial, 



s 5- F 



ex- 



S 



