8 
The history of BOTANY. 
of Male to that which bore the Seeds; the Cynocrambe Is an inftance : 
but the Greek judged other wife. He fays, where the Plants are of two 
fexes, the Male is barren. There is alfo a peculiar thought upon this fub- 
jedt in his writings, worthy a nice regard, tho’ propofed with great mo- 
defly : it is, that Trees may be produced from their flowers, without 
the ripening of Fruit or Seeds. Let us be cautious how we rejedl this 
thought: It is ftrangc, in the highe ft degree, but it is not abfurd. ’Tis 
certain, that which grows into a new plant, is originally lodged in the Fa- 
rina of the flower : and it is not impoffible, in favouring climes, and in 
particular fpecics, that the Farina may be capable of Growth. 
Perhaj-'s, what we call Seeds in Fern, are globules of Farina; for we fee 
no previous male flowers ; moft certainly the feeds, as they are called, of 
Truffles are of this nature : yet they grow. It is a doftrine to be propo- 
fed with caution, but it is w( rth a tryal. He who gives the hint, has fel- 
dom been miftaken : and if there fhould be fuch a power In nature, we 
may propagate this v.-ay, perhaps, fome of the beft Trees in our Stoves, 
which flower with i:s,” tho’ they do not ripen feeds. 
After this dodliine concerning the Origin and Generation of Trees, 
in vshich, tho’ faintly, and as it were, fearful of cenfure for the novelty of 
his opinions, he propofrs many fuggeflions of the Original of Plants, con- 
formable entirely to the philofophy which experiments are now about to 
eftablifh, he comes to his fouith article, the Life of Vegetables. 
This he conceives to exift in Its firft principles, in the Juices lodged with- 
in thofe vefiels which he dillinguilhes by the name of Veins: and that as 
it is put in motion by the two principles, Heat and Moifture, the Plant 
enjoys a ftate of adlual life; and grow'. Having eftabliftied the Life of 
Plants upon this principle, he proceeds to examine tlic different extent of 
it in various kinds, and the occafional decays which may effcdl it. This 
part of his works contains many and curious obfervations upon the Life, 
Health, and Diftemptrs of Trees and Herbs. His obfervation that the 
Water Plants are fliorter lived than thofe which grow on Land, is a ge- 
neral, tho’ not an univerf.il truth ; nor is it lefs fo, that wild Trees are longer 
lived than thefe of gardens. Abundant nourifliment, In each cafe, gives 
a quick erovvth ; bur, like animal bodies over-fed, thefe are the more 
fubieef to^diforders and decay. In deducing the caufes of the diftempera- 
tares of Trees, he lays the foundation of moft of them, upon an excefs 
of nourifliment ; and attributes the immediate caufe of feveral difeafes, to 
flaarp feafons after mild, in the time of their budding. What our late 
obfervations have done, numerous and particular as they have been, is 
prin- 
