SECT. II. 



VEGETATION. 



1] 



If it be afked, what air is, and of what it confifts ? 

 It may be anfwered, Particles of wet and dry bodies 

 volatilized, and rendered elaftic by fire. The air or at- 

 mofphere that furrounds our earth, contains a mix- 

 ture of all the active volatile parts of the whole habi- 

 table world ; that is, of all vegetables, minerals and 

 animals. Whatever perfpires, corrupts' or exhales, 

 impregnates the air ; which, being afted upon by the 

 folar fire, produces within itfelf, all forts of chemical 

 operations, riifpenfes again thofe falts and fpirits in 

 new generations, which it had received trom putre- 

 iaftions, 



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Fire, as it operates from the prime body of it the 

 sun, gives life and energy to all, completing the pro- 

 cefs of nature. There is no exilting without it. Its 

 total abfence would prefently bring all animation to the 

 coldnefs of death !' 



The fun by its warmth (conveyed by the air) fets 

 forward that fermentation in the earth, and gives that 

 fpirit to plants,, which effetts growth, and conco&s 

 their juices to make them fruitful. 



It is by the rarefaction of the air and juices con- 

 tained in the roots, and all the parts of a plant, that 

 motion and expanfion are given to it ; and by its 

 afcending- force, puffies into buds, le a** es, ilowers and 

 fruits ; fending off fuperfluous and excrementitious 

 moifture into the atmofphe r e, thus giving us the /cents 

 peculiar to each. That the fun does this, is evident 

 from what is experienced in artificial warmth, hurry- 

 ing on the growth of plants, which is ever propor- 

 tionate to the heat applied, provided there is a proper 

 fupply of moifture. 



Without the, vivifying/zi«, the other elements would 

 be inactive matter, and " no longer would the fig-tree 

 bloffom, nor fruit be in the vine : The labour of the olive 

 would fait and the fields yield no meat." The operative 

 'power of the fun reaches the deepeft receffes, to beds 



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