150 
been placed while germinating, when evaporated to dryness, 
left 0.75 grains of mucilaginous matter. Thus the peas, by 
germinating and drying ought to have lost only 2.45 grains, 
leaving a residue of 197.55 grains. But their weight was only 
189 grains. So that they had lost 8 grains more than can be 
accounted lor by the mucilage taken up by the water and car- 
bonic acid formed. We are obliged to suppose this loss owing 
to water. From Saussure’s experiments, this water seems to 
be formed or set at liberty during the drying of the seeds, for 
the (juantity of it always increased with the slowness of the pro- 
cess of drying. 
Several seeds, by germinating, acquire a sweetish taste. 
Hence it has been supposed, that the mucilage which they con- 
tain is converted into saccharine matter. We see that the car- 
bon is diminished by germination ; and unless water be formed, 
the proportion of hydrogen and oxygen must be proportionably 
augmented. It is obvious from the process of malting, that heat 
is generated during germination. 1 have seen the radicles of 
barley, when kept without turning on the malt floor, shoot out 
half an inch in a single night, and the heat rise as high as 100°. 
So far seems to be the work of chemistry alone ; at least we 
have no right to conclude that any other agent interferes; since 
hay, when it happens to imbibe moisture, exhibits nearly the 
same jirocesses. Carbonic acid gas is evolved, oxygen gas is 
absorbed, heat is produced so abundantly, that the hay often 
takes fire : at the same time a quantity of sugar is formed. It 
is owing to a partial change of the same kind that old hay gen- 
erally tastes much sweeter than new hay. Now we have no 
reason to suppose that any agents peculiar to the vegetable king- 
dom reside in hay ; as all vegetation, and all power of vegeta- 
ting are evidently destroyed. But when the farina in the .seeds 
of vegetables is converted into sugar, a number of vessels make 
their appearance in the cotyledon. These vessels may indeed 
be detected in many seeds before germination commences, but 
they become much more distinct after it has made some pro- 
gi’ess. Branches from them have been demonstrated by Grew, 
Malpighi, and Hedwig, passing into the radicle, and distributed 
through every part of it. These evidently carry the nourish- 
ment prepared in the cotyledons to the radicle ; for if the coty- 
ledons be cut off, even after the processes above described are 
