3J4 Of Vegetation. 
of their feveral attradiug powers. If the 
perfpiratLon and attraftion of the lateral 
branches is little or nothing, as in woods and 
groves, then the top branches will mightily 
prevail 5 but when in a free open ait, the 
perfpiration and attraftion of the lateral 
branches comes nearer to an equality with 
that of the top, then are the/afpirings ofthe 
top branches greatly checked. And the cafe 
is the fame in moft other vegetables, which 
when they ftand thick together, grow much 
in length with very weak lateral flioots. 
And as the leaves are thus ferviceablc 
in promoting the growth of a tree, we may 
obferve that nature has placed the pedals of 
the leaves-ftaiks where moft nouriihment is 
wanting, to produce leaves, fhoots and fruit; 
and fome fuch thin leafy expanfion is fo 
ncceffary for this purpofe, that nature pro- 
vides fmall thin expanfions, which may be 
called primary leaves, that ferve to proteft 
and draw nourifhment to the young fhoot 
and leaf- buds before the leaf it felf is ex- 
panded. 
And herein wc fee the admirable con- 
trivance of the Author of nature in adapting 
her different ways of conveying nourifli- 
mei>s 
I 
