THE 
PREFACE. 
Here have been within lefs than a 
Century very great and ufeful difco - 
y cries made in the amazingly beautiful ftruc ~ 
ture and nature of the animal oeconomy 
neither have Plants pajjed unobferved in 
this inqui/itivc age , which has with fuch 
diligence extended its inquiries, in fome de- 
gree, into almoft every branch of nature’s in- 
exhauftible fund of wonderful works . 
We find in the T hi lofophicalTranf actions , 
and in the Hiflory of the Royal Academy of 
Sciences, accounts of many curious Experi- 
ments and Obfer vat ions made from time to 
time on Vegetables , by fever al ingenious and 
inquifitive Berfons : But our countryman 
2)r. Grew, and Malpighi, were the firfi t 
who, thd in very dijlant countries , did near- 
ly at the fame time, unknown to each other , 
ingage in a very diligent and thorough in- 
quiry into the firuBure of the veffels of 
Riant s^ a province , which till then had 
lain uncultivated* They have given us ve~ 
A 4. 
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