340 Of Vegetation. 
following years additional ringlets of wood 
are not formed by a mecrly horizontal 
dilatation of the veffels i for it is not eafy to 
conceive, how longitudinal fibres and tubu- 
lar fap-velfels fhould thus be formed; but 
rather by the fhooting of the longitudinal 
fibres lengthways under the bark as young 
fibrous fhoots of roots do, in the folid 
Earth. The obfervations on the manner of the 
growth of the ringlets of wood in Experi- 
ment 46 (Fig. 30.) do further confirm this. 
I intended to have made father rcfearches 
into this matter by proper Experiments, but 
have not yet found time for it. 
But whether it be by an horizontal or 
longitudinal fhooting, we may obfervc that 
nature has taken great care to keep the parts 
between the bark and wood always very 
fupple with flimy moifture, from which 
duftile matter the woody fibres, veficles and 
buds are formed. 
Thus we fee that nature, in order to the 
produdion and growth of all the parts of 
animals and vegetables, prepares her dudile 
matter : In doing of which (he feleds and 
combines particles of very different degrees 
of mutual attradion, curioufly proportion- 
