VEGETABLE STRUCTURE. 
155 
that in the Colchicum, where -he whole head of the Root is extremely 
thin, and confequently the Fleih of it in very fniall quantity, all that is 
raifed from it is a Flower without a Stalk. This we accounted the fird; 
and lowed; d:age of growth. In this Winter Aconite the Root is 
thick, and the quantity of Flefh very con lidei able, and confequently a 
Leaf as well as a Flower are formed, and a Stalk raifed three or four inches 
high, to fupport them. This is aifo the cafe in the Hellebore : and from 
thefe, and a number of other obfervations, it feems to me, that three or 
four inches, or thereabouts, is the heigb.t to which a fingle f)dem of Cir- 
culation naturally carries up a Stalk. 
From this we diall advance to the confideration of a Vcgctab'e Body 
yet fomething more complex, feledling the Anemone ; whofc Stalk is 
confiderably taller, tho’ it have no more Leaves than this j but wdiofe ad- 
vance in height requires a fecond fydrem of Circulation. 
The courfe of thefe experiments on the Wintfr Aconite, diewed 
me accidentally, that it is capable of yielding, with Steel, a crimfon Dye, 
perhaps equal to that from Cochineal. 
CHAP. XXXVII. 
Of the ANEMONE. 
T T is by the mod gradual advances we mud expedl to arrive at a know- 
ledge of Nature; for all her changes are made by fuch advances o.'.’v : 
there is no great gap in her everlading chain ; nor can we ever rightly fol- 
low her courfe, unlefs we mark all the gradations. 
From the dalklefs Colchicum we have continued our refearch up to 
the condrudtion of the Winter Aconite, whofe low Stem one circ da- 
tory fydem is able to nouridi and fupport : but more of thefe are necciTary 
to taller Plants; and in the Anemone we diall find didindtly two; the 
fird feated as in the preceding Plant, in the body of the Root ■' the fecond 
in the lower half of the Stalk. 
The Fledi in the Root of the Anemone fed by its Fibres, and its Ra- 
dical Leaves, fends up a thick Procefs of itfelf, in form of a tubular Stalk, 
which gets in the free air all its coverings. This rifes by the drength of 
the Circulation in the Root, to the height of four inches, or fomething 
more, above the ground ; but as the Stalk is to be carried up a fecond 
dage, there is a new fydem of Circulation formed. 
X 2 
As 
