HISTORY: OF PLANTS. SOS 
lareest rivers, the draining of extensive marshes, and 
the fertility of once barren soils. 
§ 359. 
It is the constant plan of nature to preserve each 
single plant, and to use again for some further pur- 
pose every vegetable or animal organ that decays. 
Almost the smallest spaces: serve for the habitation 
of an animal or plant. The richest as well as the 
poorest soils, the barren sand, the naked rock, the 
highest Alp, the deepest marsh, the bottom of ri- 
vers, of seas, and of the ocean, even the dark ca- 
verns in the interior of our earth, and the galleries 
of mines, possess their own peculiar plants. Putri- 
fying animals become covered with small fungi, 
which still more favour their dissolution and change 
them into earth, to communicate manure and nou- 
rishment to other plants again. In the same manner 
have the leaves, stems, the wood and other parts of 
vegetables, an innume/able quantity of small fungi, 
which promote their decay. ‘hus then, what seems 
to proclaim war and destruction, is the lively scene 
of a little world. Every thing that is created, serves 
in the conservation of the whole. 
§ 360. 
The plants of fresh water are farther disseminated 
than. those of the land. ‘The water mitigates the 
cold and heat of climate, hence many European 
water-plants are found in hot climates. The Lemna 
minor grows not only throughout all Europe and 
North Ameri ca, but even eccurs in Asia. It-has 
been 
