328 Of Vegetation. 



Experiment CXXIL 



That the leaves of plants do imbibe elaf- 

 tick air, I have ibme reafon to fufpect from 

 the following Experiment, viz,. In May I 

 let ibme well rocred plants of (pear-mint 

 in two glafs cifterns fall of water, which 

 ciikrns were fet on pedeftals, and had in- 

 verted chymical receivers put over them, as 

 in (Fig. 35.) the water being drawn up to 

 a a> half way their necks : In this inclofed 

 moift ftate the plants looked pretty florid 

 for a month, and made, as I think, fome 

 few weak lateral moots, tho' they did not 

 grow in height 5 they were not quite dead 

 till after fix weeks, when it was found that 

 the water was rifen in both glaffcs from 

 a a towards z, z, in bulk about 20 cubick 

 inches : But as there was not fo exact an ac- 

 count taken of the different temperature of 

 the air, as to heat and cold, as there ought 

 to have been, I am not certain, whether 

 that rifing of the water might not be owing 

 to a greater coolnefs of the air at the fix 

 weeks end, than when they were firft placed 

 under the glafles ; and therefore do not de- 

 pend 



