252 INTRODUCTION. 
Every flower has its appointed feafon. It would 
therefore be in vain for us to feek the fpring plants 
in autumn, and the autumn plants in the fpring. 
"We fee them at dated times emerging, {talking, 
flowering, fruiting, decaying. Again in another 
feafon we fee others rifing in their room, and that 
in fo fnort a time, by fo regular and conftant a 
law, according to the direction of their natures, 
that it feems impoffible for any one to behold 
this feries and variety, without the higheft ad- 
miration. 
The fun at the fame time that it raifes, as it 
were, to life thefe beings, that are deftitute of 
animal functions, brings them forth alfo fooner, 
or later, according to the nature and difpofition 
of each, i. e. as this or that plant requires a leffer 
or a greater degree of heat, before it can obtain 
its juft maturity. For as eggs, differing in fpe- 
cies, when fit on by a hen, will not all be 
hatched the fame day, but fome fooner, fome 
later, fo neither do flowers come forth together, 
but at ftated times, as they fhall have received 
the degree of heat proper to their natures. 
Altho 9 the year was formed by the Creator in 
fuch a manner, as to be divided into diftincft 
parts, by the fun fending forth its rays equally 
on the furface of the earth, yet we are not there- 
fore from thence to define and meafure the fum^ 
mer, the quantity of ice and fnow and Northern 
♦colds hindering the air from being equally foon 
warmed in different years ; and according to the 
heat of the air, the feafons are advanced or re- 
tarded, and this is beft known and meafured by 
the various kinds of flowers. 
Since therefore the fummer feafon depends 
upon 
