OCR Text |
Show EME LE fore two Leaves imbibe and perfpire as much asone Apple: whence their Perfpirations feem to be proportionable to their Surfaces; the Surface of the Apple being nearly equal to the Sum of the upper and under Surfaces of the two Leaves. ! Whenceit is probable, that the Ufe of thefe LE I fhall add, that Nature has direéted us as to the true Diftance we ought to train the Branches of Trees againft Walls or Efpaliers, which fhould always be in Proportion to their Leaves; for if we obferve the Progrefs of Nature in the great Variety of Trees, we fhall always find their Branches grow diftant from each other in Proportion to the Breadthof their Leaves: And it was upon this Account that the Romans fo much admir’d the Platanus, bethe Fruit. And accordingly he obferves, that the caufe the Leaves being large, afforded them a Leaves next adjoining to the Bloffoms, are in kindly Shade in Summ but in Winter, the Spring very much expanded, when the when theyare deftitute of Leaves, thei r Branches at Diftance, eafily admitted other Leaves on barren Shoots are but begin- growing £ Sun. ning to fhoot; and that all Peach-Leaves are the Be Somethere are whoaffert, that bythe Z verylarge before the Bloffom goes off, nt, a Perfon maydiftinAnd that in Apples and Pears, the Le ves of each afpir are one-third or half grown before the Blof- guifh each kind of Fruit, whether delicate or fom opens; fo provident is Nature in making harfh, that the Hopefulnefs of the Fruit may timely Provifion for the nourifhing the yet be diftinguifh’d by the fi Leaves ofthe Embryo- Fruit. yearling Plant; and for this they lay down He alfo adds another Experiment: He the following Rules: ftripp’d the Leaves of an Apple-iree Branch, 1ft, That a fhort and dark green Leaf progand then fix’d the great End of the Stem in nofticates a crabbed Fruit. Leaves (which are plac’d juft where the Fruit joins to the Tree) is to bring Nourifhment to the Gages it rais’d the Mercury 24-4 Inches, 2dly, Thata Tree witha larger Leaf, thick, but it foon fubfided for want ofthe plentiful Perfpiration of the Leaves,. fo that the Air and ofa dark Green, will bear a good Winter came in almoft as faft as the Branch imbib’d clayey Ground. 3dly, Thata fady, Water. Andas a farther Proof of the Inf the Leaves in raifing the Sap, he Apple; but the Stock hardy, to endureaftif willowith Leaf denotes a flat, infipid App o made the following Experiment : On the fixth of Augu/t, he cut off a large fet-Pippin with a Stalk 1 + Inch long, twelve adjoining Leaves growing toit. He cemented the < faft in the upper End of a Tube; which Tube was fix Inches long, and one-fourth Diameter: as the Stalk imbib’d the Water, it rais’d the Mercury four Inches high. i which holds out ag 4thly, Thata pi Barbary Leaf, efpecial ber, denotes a delicate the Leaf is, the fair Sthly, That a wrinkled Leaf, neither very dark, nor very bright, proves Red-ftreak’d: Crab-ftocks have reddith Tops. ; But there is no great Certainty in thef Rules, nor can a Perfon, though ev curious in his Obfervations, exactly dete That he fix’d another Apple of the fame Size in the fame manner; but firft pull’d of the various forts of Fruits by their Leaves the Leaves, andit rais’d the Mercury but one Inch: That in the fame manner he fix’d a like-bearing Twig with twelve Leaves on it, notwithftanding what many People have alferted. : The before-mention’d Reverend Author,in but no Apple, and it rais’d the Mercury three his Treatife of Vegetation, fays, Ic is plain from Inches. many Experiments and Obfervations beforeHe then took a like-bearing Twig without mention’d, that Leaves are very ferviceable i either Leaves or Apple, andit rais’d the Mer. this Work of Vegetation, by bei one-fourth of an Inch. in bringing Nourifhment fromth y So a Twig, with an Apple and Leaves, within the Reachofthe Attraction of the growrais’d the Mercury four Inches; one with Lea ing Fruit, which, like young Animal. d only three Inches; one with an Apple without nifh’d with properInftruments to fuck it the eaves, only one Inch. but the Leaves feem alfo defign’dfor manyothet A Quince, which had two Leaves juft at e Twig’s Infertion, rais’d the Mercury 2 Inches, and held it up a confidera ble Sprig of Mint fix’d in the fame manne r, rais’d the Mercury 3 ++ Inches, equal to 4 eet Inches Height of Water, and many more Experiments of the Reverend Mr. Hale, into the Caufes, State, tation, evidently fhew © Leaves of Plants, that curious Inquirer and Progrefs of V gethe great Perfpiration and their great Ufe in ‘ailing the Sap andother Fun¢tions of Vegetable Nature: to whofe excellent Treatife before= mention’d, T refer the curious Inquirer, noble and important Services : for Nature ate mirably adapts herInftruments, fo as tobeat the fame time ferviceable to many good Purpofe Thus the Leaves, in which are the 1 Excretory Duéts in Vegetables, feparate carry off the redundant watery Fluid, w by being long detain’d, would turn 1 ore to the Plant, avine the more andprejudicial leaving thes nutritive Parts to coalefce,; part of W Nourifhment, we have good Reafon to th is convey’d into Vegetables thro’ the L LE do by the Action and Reaétion between them and the Elaftick Air, caufe that fultry Heat whichufually endsin Lightning and Thunder ; and thefe new Combinations ofAir, Sulphur, and acid Spirit, which are conftantly forming in the Air, are, doubtlefs, very ferviceable in promoting the Workof Vegetation; when being imbib’d by the Leaves, they may not improbably be the Materials out of which the more fubtile and refin’d Principles of Vegetables are form’d: For fo fine a Fluid as the Air feems to be a more proper Medium, wherein to prepare and combine the more exalted Principle of Vegetables, than the groffer watery Fluid of the Sap: And, for the fame Reafon, *tis likely that the moft refin’d and active Principles of Animals are alfo prepared in the Air, and thence convey’d thro’ the Lungs into the Blood ; and that there is Plenty of thefe fulphureo-aérial Particles in the Leaves, is evident from the fulphureous Exudations that are found at the Edges of Leaves, of which Bees are obferved to maketheir waxen Cells, las of the Duft of Flawers. And that Particles; which, when they abound m C.B.P. H., L, Greater LenLentils, with There are feveral Varieties of the firft and fecond Sorts, which differ from each other in the Colour of their Flowers and Fruits; but thefe are accidental, andwill often arife from the fame Seeds, for which Reafon they are not worth obferving in this Place. Thefe Plants are very common in the warm Parts of Europe, and in the Archipelago, where they are the Food of the poorer fort of People, which they loath when they meet with better Fare ; from whence came the Proverb, Dives fattus jam defiit gaudere Lente: which is apply’d to fuch as fpurn at thofe Things in-eafy Circumftances, which they were gladofin a low Condition, Thefe Plants are one ofthe leaft of the Pulfe kind, and call’d in fome Places Tills : They may be propagated in the fame manner as etches &c. but muft be fown a great deal thinner : They will grow upon a dry barren Soil beft, Wax abounds with Sulphur, is plain, fromits and area very good Fodder for Cattle; cies of Plants whichare call’d Pulfe, the Male Flowers, which are produced upon fe= but as burning freely, &c, they require an annual Culture, fo they are We may therefore reafonably conclude, that not at prefent very much efteem’d: Their onegreat Ufe of Leaves, is what has been long Seeds are very good for Pigeons, fufpected by many, viz. to perform, in fome meafure, the fame Office for the Support of LENS PALUSTRIS ; Duck-Meat. This the Vegetable Life, as the Lungs of Animals is a very common Plant, growing upon ftanddo for the Support of Animal Life; Plants, ing Waters in moft Parts of England. very probably, drawing through their Leaves fome Part of their Nourifhment through the LENTISCUS 3 [takes its Name of Lentor, Air. Lat. i, e. Pliablene/s.| The Maftick-Tree. The Charaéfers are; LEEKS; vide Porrum. The Leaves are pinnated; the Lobes grou ing LEGUMES or LEGUMENS, are a Spe- oppofite, and are faften’d to one common Mid-rib ; fach as Peas, Beans, &c. and are fo call’d, becaufe parate Trees from the Fruit, have fort, green, they may be gather’d by the Hand, withou t cutting, Mr, Ray reckons all thofe Plants Which have a papilionaceous Flower, among the Legumes, >, EGUMINOUs, of, or belonging to LEGUMINOUS Plants, are fuch as bear P » with a papilionaceous Flower: Their F lower is difform, and fomewhatlikea Butterfly, with Wings expanded (whence it is call’d Papilionaceous) confifting of four Parts, join’d toceth gether at the Bottom. Vide Papilionaceous. LEMON-TREE ; vide Limon. LENS, [fo call’d of Lenis, Lat. mild or Sentie, becaufe in old Times, thofe who ate ‘ele Seeds, were faid to be of a gentle Temper.] Lentils. The Charaéfers are ; lionaceous Flower; the Pointal @ foort Pod, containing orwhich are, for the moft part, may be added, the Leaves are id-rib, aud are ter- which doplentifully imbibe the Dewand } which contain, Salt, Sulphur, @¢. _ For the Airis full of acid and fulphur 2. Lens; major. tls. 3. Lens; monanthos. a fingle Flower. Common quadrifid Cups, which expand in Form of Stars, having four orfive foort Stamina, with large red Apices : Thefe Flowers arecollected into a Bunch: The Ovary, in the Female Plants, which gr upon the Top of along, thick Foot-/talk, is commonly branch’d, and becomes a Fruit which contains a Nut wiih a hard Shell. The Species are ; $3 C. B. P. Common Mattick-Tree. 2, Lenriscus 3 vulgaris, foliis minoribus & pallidioribus. H. L. The Male Maftick-Tree, with leffer and paler Leaves. Thefe two Plants are promifcuoufly preferv’d in many curious Gardens in Engl: where they are commonly kept in Pots and Tubs, and hous’d in the Winter, with Oranges, Myrtles, &c. but in fome Places, which are well defended from cold Winds, I have obferv’d them growing in the open Air, without fuffering the leaft Injury from our ordinary Winters ; but in extreme hard Weather they are fometimes greatly damag’d; however, as they are feldom quite deftroy’d, efpecially if the Plants are {trong, and have taken good Root in the Ground, fo itis worth our Care to endeavour to naturalize themto our Climate: which may eafily be effected, provided you keep themin Pot until they have acquir’d a Yyyy |