VEGETABLE STRUCTURE. 
179 
of Leaves. This terminates the growth; and this being ready to take 
Root, and grow again. Nature, in a manner, trifles with the Flowers, 
and is little folicitoiis about Seeds. 
The little mafs of Flefli is formed where the Flefli-Veflels ter- 
minate at the head of the Fruit, is the rnofl eflential part of the Plant, 
the Seat of Life of the fucceeding Offspring, and the point from which 
all is to grow. We are interefled therefore to underhand this diflinft- 
ly. It is thus formed. When the Flcdi-Veffels have arrived at this, 
their extream growth, they prepare to return upon themfelves : At the 
point the bafe of the Fruit, each divided into feveral fmaller; hut at the 
fummit, /, they again divide into almoft innumerable and extremely minute 
threads. The Coats of thefe, v\hich are very tender, fuffer a part of their 
Juice to ouze out : this part is v/hite, like Cream, and it foon thickens. 
The fine Flefli-Veffels having returned in arches at the fummit of the part 
/, marked ot, return in an elliptick form, as in the globules cf Farina of 
other Plants, to the bafe of that part, and there, while fome run down, 
the greater part inofculate with one another. The Juice they have ex- 
travafated, forms a thick flefljy matter between them, and a great deal 
of the fame white Juice being extravafated at the part <?, where the Flefh- 
Veffels begin to divide thus minutely, this fpreads itfelf round the Flefliy 
Lump already formed, making it a thick white Coat : and thus the bafe 
of the Pineapple Crown is finiflied. The growth of Leaves is natural 
when nourifliment is continued; for this bafe being compofed of the 
Flefli of the Plant, can produce all the other Parts; and the two Rinds, 
which its extravafated Juices form, make thofe Leaves. 
This is the ftrudture of the Pineapple in its natural flate ; and from 
what we have feen of the Vegetable Nature it is plain this Crown, when 
committed to the ground, mufl: grow. This Flefliy Lump has the fame 
Conftrudion with a Globule of Farina, only it is more largely formed. 
The elliptick Rings are larger by many degrees, and there are vafl: num- 
bers of them. The white Juice which thickens between the Flefh-Vef- 
fels, and round them, is the rich Blea of a new Plant ; and the two Coats 
are given it by the hardening of its own Juices in the Air ; as they are 
given to all other Plants. Therefore this Flefliy Lump is the natural ori- 
ginal of a new Plant, which has fhot its crown of Leaves while it remains 
upon the parent Stalk, as the original elliptick Ring of the Farina in other 
Plants does its Seed-Leaves; and like that, when committed properly to 
the earth, it is ready to grow. 
A a 2 
This 
