( 198 ) 
N6w the Gravity of a Body which is the Caufe of its 
Jinking or tendency downwards, is eommenfurate to its 
Bulk : but the Rejijiance that the Liquor makes is pro- 
portion'd, not to the Bulk, but to the extent of the 
furjace of the Body immerfed in it. Whence 'tis plain, 
a Body may be fo far divided, that its Tarts may be fu- 
ftain'd in a Fluid, whofe Specifick Gravity is lefs than that 
of the faid Body, Nay, 'tis matter of Fadl that they 
frequently are fo : and we daily fee Menjirua fupporting 
the Parts of Metalh, and other Bodies, that are of fix, 
ten, nay almoft twenty times the Spec. Grav. of thofe 
Menjirua. And as the Parts of Bodies when divided are 
thus fupported in a Fluid: So when they occur and unite 
again, they muft Jink of Courfe, and fall to the 
Bottom, 
Upon the whole, 'tis palpable and beyond reafonable 
Conteft, that Water contains in it a very confiderable 
Quantity of terrejirial Matter, Now the Queftion is 
to which of thefe, the Water, or the Earthy Matter fil- 
ftain'd in it, Vegetables owe their Growth and Augment, 
For deciding of which I conceive the following Experi- 
ments may afford fome Light : And I can fafely fay 
they were made with due Care and ExaBneJs. 
Anno I 6 9 I. 
I chofe feveral Glafs Viols y that were all, as near as 
pofBble, of the fame Jhape and hignefs. After I had put 
what Water I thought fit into every one of them, and 
taken an Account of the ^weight of it, I ftrain'd and ty'd 
over the Orifice of each Viol, a piece o{ Parchment , ha* 
ving an hole in the middle of it, large enough to ad- 
mit the Stem of the Plant I defign'd to fet in the Viol, 
vt^ithout conjining or Jlraightning it fo as to impede its 
Growth 
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