6 
ruination, either in the sunshine or in the shade; but 
that seeds grew both in common air and in oxygen 
gas, and formed carbonic acid in each *. The sub- 
sequent experiments of Gough, Cruickshank, and De 
Saussure; and those which have been already related 
(9. et seq.), confirm, in all respects, the conclusions 
of Scheele. In his late Researches, also, De Saus- 
sure extended his experiments to a great variety of 
seeds, and, in all that he tried, he found the bulk of 
carbonic acid produced to be exactly equal to that of 
the oxygen gas which had disappeared f. These va- 
rious experiments seem to establish, beyond the 
reach of doubt, the facts, that oxygen gas is essential 
to germination; that it is converted into carbonic 
acid in that process ; and that the bulk of acid gas 
produced is exactly equal to that of the oxygen gas 
which disappears. 
209. In the former part of our inquiry (12.) we 
stated the bulk of carbonic acid, formed in germina- 
tion, to be somewhat less than that of the oxygen 
consumed, which we ascribed to the condensation, 
supposed, at that time, to attend the conversion of 
oxygen gas into carbonic acid. We then, however, 
mentioned many difficulties which opposed the accu- 
rate determination of this point ; and our opinion at 
the time, was at variance with the observations of 
Scheele, of Cruickshank, and of De Saussure. We 
have since found, in many trials, that no apparent 
diminution of the volume of air occurs in germina- 
* Expediences sur les Vegetaux, torn. ii. p. 2. 10. 
| Recherches China, p. 9. 10. 
