ah a meta Regen atta ct I EMC ang EE Perm AR RT Mai ON 9 Ie i A ae In te a RE NG 
J, LeConte on the Correlation of Forces. 309 
bon; then germination of the seed might take place without — 
loss of weight, by — direct conversion of heat into vital force. 
According t to my view, decomposition and therefore loss of — 
as absolutely nanny a develop the organizing force, t 
wren being in fact the exact measure 0 c 
As soon as ns plant develops green leaves, a complete 
— takes place in its mode of development. Tt no lon nger 
loses weight but increases in weight. It not only develops but 
grows. The reason of this is, that the neh gerne force is no 
anerr developed by decomposition of food laid 03 within its 
n tissues, but by the decomposition of food taken ab externo. 
Sunlight is universally admitted to be the phseael force con- 
cerned in this decomposition. Farther, it is generally supposed 
that there is a direct and immediate conversion of light into 
vital force in the green leaves of plants. But evidently this is 
impossible, since the work done by the laght a as the separation of the 
two elements carbon and oxygen. Light is therefore converted into 
motion. It is therefore the chemical aflinity thus set free which 
is the force immediately converted into vital a The food of 
plants consists of carbonic acid, water and ammonia (CO,, HO 
and NH,,) or in some cases according to M. Ville of CO,, HO 
and N.* Sunlight acting through the medium of the “oreen 
leaves of plants has the remarkable power of decomposing CO,. 
The Jorce thus set free from a latent condition, or the chemical 
retarn n to my tS. jHuckralion gerne Ome falling fom 
the second to the first plane de evelops force sufficient to 
other mat ter from the second to the third — Thus it is is 
plants should feed entirely upon nta , Teas 
cording to the ordinary view of the pegs conversion of ee 
into organizing force, there is no lants should not 
green leaves of sexe Pale ena :< -— the re angi ong 
and th the —— among 
power to O,. These PS therefore, cannot cua 
* See review of he co fe between Boussingault and Ville on this subject, 
Bib. Univ. Arch, des Sci., = nies Sikes Also Phil. ‘er aa ser., vol. 13, ag 497, 
Ann. des Sci... 4th ponte a : p. 357. Am. Jour. Science, vol. 19, — Bib. 
Univ. Arch. des s Sci., vol. 28 335. Ann. des Sei, 4th vol. 7, p. 5 
+ Ammonia is alsa ‘ontly decom: in the tissues of the leaves of plants, 
(Carpenter, correlation of physieal and vital Sinceh Phil ‘Tram. 1850, p. 732 See 
also Morren, Bib, Univ. Arch. des Sei, new periud, vol, 6, p. 84) This would of 
= produos additional orgunising nes 
