144 Vegetable Statich. 

 of wood confifts in the mooting of their fi- 

 bres lengthways under the bark. 



That thefap does not deicend between the 

 bark and the wood , as the favourers of a cir- 

 culation fuppofe, feems evident from hence, 

 viz. that if the bark be taken off for 3 or 

 4 inches breadth quite round, the bleeding of 

 the tree above that bared place will much 

 abate, which ought to have the contrary 

 effect, by intercepting the courfe of the re- 

 fluent fap, if the fap defcended by the bark. 



But the reafon of the abatement of the 

 bleeding in this cafe may weli be account- 

 ed for, from the manifeft proof we have 

 in thefe Experiments, that the ftp is lirong- 

 ly attracted upwards by the vigorous opera- 

 tion of the perfpiring leaves, and attracting 

 Capillaries : But when the bark is cut off 

 for fome breadth below the bleeding place, 

 then the fap, which is between the bark and 

 the wood below that disbarked place, is 

 deprived of the ftrong attracting power of 

 the leaves, &c. and consequently the bleed- 

 ing wound cannot be fuppiied fo fail with 

 fap , as it was before the bark was taken off. 



Hence alfo we have a hint for a probable 

 conjecture why in the alternately disbarked 



flicks, 



