\ “ And the Hypecoum Procumbens (Procumbent Hypecoum), which had 
been lost in the garden of Upsal since the time of Rudbeck the father, also 
appeared as they were breaking up the earth in a particular part, the seeds 
having laid dormant there upwards of forty years.” 
O 
Hence we mav conclude that, independent of heat and moisture, anothei 
requisite is necessary towards the first growth of seeds, namely, air . 
But what will clear up this subject best are direct experiments made 
with the view to ascertain this curious point. 
EXPERIMENT I. 
December 2d, 1796 ^ a quantity of barley, after having been soaked in 
water twenty-four hours, was put into a wine glass, and introduced under 
ajar containing common air, which was afterwards inverted over water to 
prevent the escape of air, 
It may be necessary to remark, that the temperature in this, as well as 
the other experiments about to be related, was from sixty to seventy degrees, 
as nearly as possible. 
At the expiration of five days they began to vegetate, and at the end of 
twenty-eight days the plume had shot out half an inch in length. 
On February 7 th, vegetation was still going on, and the air in the jar 
was diminished, and the barley being withdrawn was found to be very 
sweet, and converted nearly into the state of malt. 
The air of the jar was now examined, and found to consist of 
1. Azotic, and, 
2. Carbonic acid gas, or fixed air, 
in the proportion of twenty of the former to six of the latter; so that the 
whole of the oxygen gas must have been either absorbed, by the vegetable, 
or converted into carbonic acid gas. 
EXPERIMENT II. 
June lQth, 1797? a quantity of barley, treated as in the last experiment, 
was introduced into ajar containing, instead of common air, the pure oxygen 
