as when there has beeq a very wet and cold Seafon, and 
very hot Weather fuddenly enfues , the Leaves turn 
brown, and dry to duft ,• the Caufe I conceive to be 
hence : The Plant being feeble, and having a fmall 
quantity of Oyl, which makes the more folid part of 
the Plant, the Earth being fuddenly heated by the Sun's 
fiercer Beams, the Roots are rather fcorch'd and dried up 
in the Earth, than nourifh'd ; fo that the Plant confid- 
ing only of watry parts, is confumed, as it were, by 
Fire : fometimes hopeful Plants, when by a fudden Guft 
fome Mailer Veins are broken , if fudden heat enfues, 
they likewife Fire : for being not come to maturity, and 
being deprived of the Supports of Life and Vegetation, 
they likewife periih , are dried up , and fall to duft. 
French-men they call thofe Plants, whofe Leaves do not 
fpread and grow large, but rather fpire upwards, and 
grow tall ; thefe Plants they do not tend, being not 
worthy their Labour. Were they fo Critical, I believe, 
they might have great Guefs what Plants were moft like- 
ly to turn French-men, by obferving whether the Roots 
of the Plants run downwards, as thofe whofe Branches 
adapted to fpire upwards : for tho' I have not made 
pofirive proof thereof, I have fomething more than bare 
fancy for my conjefture ; I have pull'd up fome of thefe 
French- men, and compar'd them with the Roots of fome 
other Plants, and found them much longer than others ; 
and 'tis obfervable, loofe Soyls, and fandy Ground, are 
more fubjeft thereto than the (tiff Land. The Country 
of itfelf is one entire Wood, confiding of large Timber 
Trees of feveral forts, free from Thickets or under Wood, 
the frnall Shrubs growing only on Lands, that have been 
clear'd, or in Swamps ; and thus it is for feveral Hun- 
dreds of Miles, even as far as has yet been difcover'd. 
But that feall be referv'd 'till another opportunity. 
I am> &c. 
IIL An 
