75 
SECT. XV. 
X, WHY RAIN PROMOTES GERMINATION MORE THAN 
SPRING OR RIVER WATER? 
Aquatic Nymphs! you lead, with viewless march, 
The winged vapours up the aerial arch. 
On each broad cloud a thousand sails expand, 
And steer the shadowy treasure o’er the land. 
Through vernal clouds the gathering drops diffuse, 
Plunge in soft rain, or sink in silver dews. 
Darwin. 
The irregular showers of April (the month Pluviooe of the new Calen¬ 
dar) is a benevolent contrivance of Nature to bring into action the seeds 
committed to the bosom of the earth. 
The farmer and gardener deriving their water from springs and rivers, 
have in vain tried to imitate these fecundating showers. 
The reason of the great fertilizing power of rain is the discovery of 
modern philosophy. 
From the experiments of Hassenfratz it appears that, under an 
exhausted receiver, rain-water suffers air to escape from it, and, upon 
examination, this air contains a greater proportion of oxygen than either 
river water, spring water, or even atmospheric air. 
For atmospheric air exposed to the action of phosphorus, without the 
application of heat, after the method indicated by Berthollet, is diminished 
21 degrees; that is to say, the phosphorus* takes 21 parts of oxygen out 
of 100 parts of atmospheric air. 
* The theory of this experiment is as follows. Phosphorus is a simple body. Air is composed of 
oxygen air and azotic air. The phosphorus coming into contact with common air obeys the laws of 
elective attraction, and it unites with the oxygen of the atmosphere, heat and light are liberated, and 
the phosphorus is converted into phosphoric acid , a concrete body, accounting for the disappearance 
of the oxygen air. Hence its use, as well as nitrous air, to ascertain the quantity of oxygen in any 
given quantity of air. 
