VEGETABLES. 



comes ligneous, it emits radicles on every fide, which con- 

 tinue the abforption, and convey the matters firft to the 

 root, and then to the whole plant or vegetable. Thus, if 

 a plant or tree be tranfplanted, it fucceeds with greater 

 certainty, the more abforbent radicles are preferved with 

 the root. The leaves abforb matters from the furrounding 

 atmofphere, in the fame manner as the radicles do from the 

 earth, and convey them to the other parts of the plant or 

 vegetable. It is fuppofcd that, by means of the abforbents, 

 water is diftributed to every part of the plant or vegetable, 

 and conflitutes its principal aliment ; as, deprived of this 

 univerfal fluid, it droops and dies ; but, by its influence, is 

 not only nouriftied, and the vafcular parts of the whole 

 fabric dilated, but it contributes greatly to excite the lan- 

 guifliing fibres, and in this way to increafe the vital power 

 of the vefTels. By means of this fyftem of veffels, too, the 

 atmofpherical air, which is eflential to the growth of vege- 

 tables, is abforbed or taken up ; as plants in -vacuo cannot 

 be evolved from the feed, nor can they afterwards vegetate. 

 This is moft; probably the reafon why feeds, buried very 

 deep in the earth, do not vegetate, but die. See Sap 

 and Vegetation. 



There are many matters or principles in different kinds 



of vegetables, which render them particularly ufefiil in the 

 way of food, or beneficial in the produfts which they af- 

 ford. The ftarchy sind faccharine principles are particularly 

 important, as poffefling the qualities of fattening animals in 

 a high degree. See Starch, Saccharine Matter, and 

 Vegeto-animal Matter. 



The bitter principle prevails very extenfively in vege- 

 tables, and the natural fort of it is of great importance and 

 utility in the art of brewing, as checking fermentation, and 

 preferving fermented liquors, &c. And there are many 

 other principles in them, which contribute to different 

 ufeful purpofes in feveral ways. See Oil, V^olatile Oil, 

 Wax, &c. 



The particular nature and properties of the feveral dif- 

 ferent principles or parts of vegetables may be feen explained 

 in Davy's Elements of Agricultural Chemiflry. 



The quantities or proportions of nutritive or fbluble 

 matters, which are contained in different vegetables, or 

 fubftances of that kind, are very different, as fliewn in the 

 table given below from the above work, which comprehends 

 the quantities of this fort of matters which are afforded by 

 a thoufand parts of different vegetable fubftances, when 

 fubmitted to experiment, green, and in their natural Rates. 



Table. 



Thefe 



