128 Vegetable Statkks. 

 branches, I cemented it faft to the tube a y 

 by means of the leaden Syphon /: But firft 

 I cut away the bark, and laft year's ringlet of 

 wood, for 3 inches length to r. I then fil- 

 led the tube with water, which was 12 feet 

 long, and I inch diameter, having firft cut 

 a gap at y thro* the bark, and laft year's wood, 

 12 inches from the lower end of the ftem : 

 the water was very freely imbibed, viz. at 

 the rate of 3 + i inches in a minute. In 

 half and hour's time I could plainly perceive 

 the lower part of the gap y to be moifter 

 than before ; when, at the fame time, the up- 

 per part of the wound looked white and dry. 

 Now in this cafe the water muft neceffa- 

 rily afeend from the tube, thro' the inner- 

 moftwood, becaufe the laft year's wood was 

 cut away, for 3 inches length all round the 

 ftem 5 and confequently, if the fap in its na- 

 tural courfe defcended by the laft year's ring- 

 let of wood, and between that and the bark 

 (as many have thought) the water fhould 

 have defcended by the laft year's wood,or the 

 bark, and fo have firft moiftened the upper 

 part of the gap y ; but on the contrary, the 

 lower part was moiften'd, and not the upper 

 part. 



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