f 299 3 



men to purfue the hiftory and philofophy of 

 vegetables, through the whole extent of them, 

 as the foundation of pradlical improvements. 

 With this view, he refers them to the many- 

 excellent papers thereon, contained in this collec- 

 tion : and from the phyfiology of plants, the confi- 

 deration of the mechanifm of them, and particu- 

 larly that of the parts of fru6lification, he ffiews 

 the futility of the opinion, which he had under- 

 taken to confute, and particularly levels his argu- 

 ments againft that part of it which has gained 

 the moft belief, and remained longeft in the minds 

 of his countrymen and the peafants, that Oats are 

 mutable into Rye, 



No notice is taken in this difTertation of the 

 Secak Cormtum^ or Ergot, which, with other viti- 

 ated grain, has been fuppofed to occafion the 

 Necrcjis Uftilaginea^ (vide Sativagefs Nofolog, vol. ii. 

 p. 623.) and which lately engaged the attention 

 of the learned in England. See PhiL 'Tranfa5i. 

 yol. Iv. p. 106 — 126, and vol. lii. p. S'2.2~5Z3,* 



84. CuLiNA MuTATA. M. G. OJleman, 



In a former paper was exhibited a lift of vege- 

 tables that are eaten in a crude ftate, as fallads. 

 The prefent is intended to fhew the change which 

 has taken place, fince the time of the antiepts, in 

 the choice of vegetable aliments ; by fubftituting, 

 inftead of what were then ufed, a number of more 

 blandj agreeable, and nutritive plants, 



la 



