| OCR Text |
Show Philofopbical H.iStory of Plants. eAn Idea of a 10 riety will be found. Next their Pofitiovs one amongft another, which are alfo various ; as Anterior, Pofterior, Collateral, Surrounding, Mediate, Immediate, Near, Remotes both as they refpect the feveral Parts, and the feveral portions ofone: And all thefe,as few, or more 5 thefe or others of them, may be divertly Compoundedtogether, And then the Proportions they bear one to another 5 whether as to Minority, Equality, or Excefs5 each Part compared with each, and that asto the feveral Degrees appearing in the faid Proportions ; the Va- Wehbe Bi rieties whereof maybe exceeding numerous. For if we fhouldfuppofe but Four confiderable Parts generally conftitutive of a Vegetable : Thefe Four, produce a Variety FE our ways. F irft, when One is Une- qual; and then it produceth only Four Varieties: and thofe twoways, (cil. when one is Greater, and the other three, Equal and Lefs; or ‘whenoneisLefs 3 andthe other three, Equal and Greater. Secondly, when Twobe Unequal; and then they produce Six Varieties, Third- ly, when Three be Unequal, which produceth Twelve Varieties. Or laftly, when all Four be Unequal; which produceth Tmenty four : which general Varieties, may be further multiplied by their feveral Degrees. 20. §. ; Fromall which, we may come to know, what the Com- wmnities of Vegetables are, as belonging to alls what their Distinétions, to fuch a Kinds their Properties, to fuch a Species; andtheir Pe- culiarities, to fach Particular ones. Andas in Metaphyfrcal, or other Contemplative Matters, when we have a diftiné& knowledge of the Communities and Differences of Things, we may then be able to give their true Defizitions : fo may we poflibly, here attain, to do likewife : not only toknow, That every Plant Inwardlydiffers from a. nother, but alfo wherein ; fo as not morefurely to Define by the Outward Figure, thanby the Inward Strudure, What that is, OF thofe things are, whereby any Pleat, or Sort of Plants, maybe diftinguifhed fromall others. And having obtained a knowledge of the Communities and D. mces among{t the Parts of Vegetables s it may condué us through a Series of more facile and probable Corclufions, of the ways of their Caufality, asto the Communities and Differences ot Vegetation. And thus much for the Second General Mean. Third ] 21. g¢. HAVING THUS far examined the Organical and Containing Parts of Vegetables; it will be requifite, more defignedly, to obferve thofe alfo which are Flxid, or any others Contained in them: and that, for our better underftanding both ofthe Nature of Vegetation, and of the faid Contained Parts. And to make inquiry, Parft oftheir Kinds 5 as Spirits ; both fach as agree, in general, in being Vinows 5 and thofe that are Special, to particular Plants. 4ers and Vapours 5 for the exiltence whereof, in all Vegetables, there are Arguments certainly concluding. Andfor the difference of their Naiures, in being more dry, or moift, more fimple or compounded, as they are exiftent in feveral Parts, there are probable ones. Lym- pha’s or clear and watry Saps ; which moft Plants, in one Part orother, at fome time of the Year, do Bleed Mucilages; as in Mallow and Vio- let Leaves 5 in many Seeds, as of Quinces, Clary 5 Fruits, as in Cucumers s diftinét from the watry Sap, as by permitting it to ftand and gelly upon the Vefels from whence it iffues, is pla: And in the young Berrys of White Bryony, when about the bignefS of a PepperCorn3 Corn 5 the juyce whereofis fo Vifcous, that the twentieth part. of a Grain, will draw out above a Yard in length. Oyles; not only in Seeds, and fome Fruits, but other Parts 5 as in certain little cavities in the Leaves of Savine, vilibly collected while they are growing. Gumms or Refines ; as in Pine, Fir, and others of this Kind. Milks 5 as in a vaft number of Plaxts, and amongft them, many not fulfpeted to yicld any. For, ofHerbs, not only moft ofthe Umbeliferous Kind, are Milky; but all or moft of the Intybous 5 Poppys Trachelinms 5 Perwinkles 5 divers Thiffles 5 and even Onions, if cut at the bottomes with a great matty more. Of Trees, not only the Little Maple, but the young Shoots of Lawrel, efpecially being crafhed 5 as alfo tho of Elder, and {ome others. To which may be added, fach Mucilages, which though not fo properly contained within the Parts, yet’ are found lying over them as over the firft Spring-leaves of all Kinds of Docks 5 betwixt the Leaves and the Veil wherein they are involved. That fine white Flower or Powder, whichlies over the Leaves of fome Plants, as of Bears-Ear: And in Princes-Feather, about certain Aper= zures only on the edges of the Leaves, 22. g. OFall thefe thould be obférved, Jrft their Receptacles5 fome of them, being proper to one; others, common totwo or more of them ; fince it is certain, that fome of them do Tranfinigrate from one, intoanother Receptacle, or that the fame Receptacle is filled with Fluid Bodies, of a quite different Nature, at the different Se ifons of the Year, and Ages of the Vegetable. Andit is alfo veryprobable,That two of fome of them, may, fometimes, be contained in one Receptacle, at the fame time 5 as in Avimals, the Lympha inthe D. Thorac icws, and that, and the Chyle, inthe Sunguineous 3. §. Then their Motions; both al, and fuch as may bé effected by Art : and thofe either by Defcent or Afeent; And in afcending, through what different Chanels or Parts of the Trunks fince itis certain, That there isa variety, bothin refpect of the Seafov, and of Vegetables. Where it will fall in, To obferve the Tapping ofTrees. Asalfo their Bleeding : to what Trees it is properto bleed: in thofé to whichit is,with what difference of Celerity: and when their peculiar Seafon : fornone will bleed at all times; neither will all bleed at the fame. And thentheir Collateral Motion, together with the Mode of their Tranfition from one Or, avical Part to another. 24. §. Next their Quantities, either of one; asthe Comparifon is made betwixt feveral Flants, or betwixt the Parts of the fame. So the true Seed of all Plawts, containeth more Oyl, in proportion, than any of the other Parts. Orelf{e ofdivers, as coexiftentand bearing fuch a proportion one to another in the fame Part: of moft of which; it may be knownbytheir refpective Receptacles. Yet the Computation muft not bemade from the number of the faid Receptacles, fimply 5 but as that is in conjunétion with their Capacity, and as their Capacity is proportioned totheir furrounding Sides; the Sides of thofe of the leaft Capacity, being ufually as thick, asthofe of the greateft: fo that fup pofe Tenleffer, tolye within thecompafs of One greater;the Content ofthefe altogether, wouldfearce be equal to half the Content of that One. D 25. $. |
