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Show VE VE almoft corrupted; within, it is hollow3 and precipitate to the Bottom ofthe Glafs, as the Mineral Waterwill, if there be any con- about the Secundine, the mucous and white Subftance of the Seed being continued to the Navel-knot, forms a Cavity: All the Roots becoming longer, put forth new Branches out oftheir Sides. The fecond Leaf withers, and its Veficles are emptied: The Internodes or Spaces between the Knots grow longer ; new Gems appear, and the middle Root grows feveral Inches long. i VE fore he concludes very juftly, That there is in all Water a confiderable Quantity ofthe earthy Matter; and in order to determine whether the Vegetation of Plants was chiefly owing to bare Water or not, rather than to the terreftrial Matter therein contain’d, he made, with very great Accuracy and Care, feveral Experiments. done with an uncommon Care and Exactncfs; are a fufficient Number ofthem; andarefol- where the Plants grow, there is fome Doubt: It hath been a general Opinion amongft almoft low’d by very ingenious Reflefions, ferving to explicate many Difficulties of Philofophy, and principally owing to Water, which not only ferves asa Vehicle to convey to themthe fine rich Earth, &c. proper for their Nourifhment, but being tranfmuted into the Body of the Plant, affords the greateft Part, if not all the Matter with which they are nourifh’d, and by which they growandincreafe in Bignefs. This Opinionis countenane’d by very great Names; particularly the ingenious Dr. Woodward, who in order to afcertain this Point, made the following Experiments. In the firft Place he carefully examined all Sorts of Water, and found, that the cleareft, fineft Spring Water, which he could any where meet with, exhibited even to the naked Eye, great Numbers of exceeding fmall terreftrial les, and that all other Craffer Waters had thefe in yet much greater Quantity ; and alfo that they were of a larger Bulk. Which Experiments, becaufe they were to fet the whole Affair of Vegetation in avery good Light; I thall give the Regifter as follows. Anno Dom. 1691, he chofe feveral Gla Phials that were all as near as poflible ofthe fame Shape and Bignefs. After he had put what Water he thought fit into every one of foundplentifully. This Fact, he fays, any one may difcover, byonly keeping Water for a competent Time without ftirring it, in a clear Glafs Phial, clofely ftopp’d, to keep out Dutt, €¥c. for then he will obferve, that thefe very fmall terreftrial Particles which before were fcarcely vifible fingly, will now combine together into large and more confpicuous Maffes, which, by de- could poffibly judge, alike found, frefh and lively: Having taken the Weight ofeach, he Offober the 5th, whichis juft 77 Days, when he took them out, weighed the Water in each Phial, and the Plant likewife, adding to its ‘Weight that of all the Leaves that had fallen off, during the Time it had ftood thus: And laftly, he computed how mucheach Plant had gain’d, and how much Water was {pent upon it. The Particulars are as follow. The Plantweigh’d, when putin, 7#ly thezoth, gain’d by Weight of the W. Propartion of the the 77 Days. 5th, 42 Grains. A 27 Grains. 42 Grains. Spring Water. 15 Grains, 2558 Grains. Common Spear Mint, 28 4 Grains. 45 ¢ Grains. as 1 10170 a Rain Water. 17 = Grains. 3004 Grains. asi to 171 33 Cc Common Spear Mint, 28 Grains. 54 Grains. Thames Water. 2493 Grains, 26 Grains. ast togs 23. D Common Solanum or Night| /bade, Spring Water. 49 Grdins. 106 Grains. 57 Grains, 3708 Grains. | as 1 to 65 iy. E Lathyrus| feu Cataputia 98 Graitis. 1o1 + Grains. Ger. Spring Water. . ~ 3 + Grains. The Specimen D hadfevetal Buds upon it, when firft fet into the Water; thefe, in fome Days, became fair Flowers, which were, at Jength, fucceeded by Berries. Several othe: . 2501 Grains. | \j as 1 to 7144. of Water, not unlike to Dew, adhering to the Infides of the Glaffes, i. ¢. that Part of them that was above the Surface of the inclos’d Plants were try’d, which did not thrive in Water, nor fucceed any better than the Cataputia foregoing. Water. The Water in thefe two Glaffes that had no Plants in them, at the End of the Experiment exhibited a larger Quantity of terreftria] Macter ThePhyals F and Gwere fill’d; the former than that in any of thofe that had thePlants in with Rain, and the other with Spring-Water, at the fame time as thofe abovemention’d were, andftoodas long as they did ; but they hadneither of them any Plant: The Defign of which was, in order to learn, whether any Water exhal’d out of the Glaffes, otherwife than through the Bodies of the Plants. The Orifices of thefe two Glaffes were *d with Parchment, eacli Piece of it being with a Hole of the fame Bignets fe of the PI bove. In thefe was d a Bit of k abou m of one of the afore them did. The Sediment in the Bottom ofthe Phyals was greater, and the Nubicule diffus’d through the Body of the Water thicker: And of that which was in the others, fome of it proceedea from certain {mall Leaves that hadfallen from that Part of the Stem of the Plants that was within the Water, wherein they rotted and diffolv’d. Terreftrial Matter in the Rain-Water than that of the Spring-Water, Experiments, Anno 1692, The Glaffes made ufe of in this were of the fame Sort with thofe of the former Experiment, and cover’d ever with Parchment after the fame manner. So that in the Space of 77 during the 77 Days, amounts to 2558 Grains. Confequently the Weight of the Water taken up 1702 times the Grains as muchas the Plant had gain’d in Weight, to the Expence of the Water. the Plant. on ahs Com mon Spear Mint, juft 24 Grains; When taken out, Offoderthe Days, it had gain’d in Weight 15 Grains. _ The whole Quantity of Water expended é Kind, it will turn the Watergreen, the Water. Mint and other Plants that were, as nearashe it were, in the Water, which will grow daily more and more opacous andthick by the contnual Acceffion of new Matter; and if the earthy Matter in the Water be chiefly of the vi Water. each Phial a Piece of Parchment, having Holes in the Middle of it large enough to admit the Stem of the Plant he defign’d to fet into the Phial, without confining or itraitening it fo asto impede its Growth. His Intention in this was to prevent the inclos’d Water trom evaporating or afcending any other Way thanonly through the Plant to be fet therein. l Then he made Choice of feveral Sprigs of grees, will join together, and form Clouds, as al Colour of Vegetables; and this will growdeeper and deeper colour’d, but will nor Weightofthe Plant Weight of the Plant] Weight- when firft put into|when taken out of| the Plant due ter expended upon |dntreafe ofthe Plant them, and taken an Account ofthe Weight of it, he ftrain’d and ty’d over the Orifice of He found this terreftrial Matter contain’d in placed it ina Phial, order’d as above; andas all Water to be of two kinds: The one pro- the Plant imbib’d and drew off the Water, he perly a vegetable Matter, but confifting of took Care to add more of the fame fromtime very different Particles; fome of which are to time, keeping an Account of the Weight of veryproper for the Nourifhment offome kinds all he added. Each of the Glafies were, for of Plants; others for different Sorts, &c. The better Diftin@tion, and the more eafy keeping other kind of earthy Matter he found to be a Regifter of all the Circumftances, noted purely of a mineral Nature; andthis alfo was with a different Mark or Letter, as A, B, C, &c. and all fet ina Row in the fame Window, ot very various and different Kinds. The former Sort of vegetable earthy Matter, in fuch manner that all might partake alike of abounds plentifully in all Waters; but for the Air, Light, and Sun. Then they continu’d from uly 20th to Mineral, itis found moftly in Spring-Water ; next to that in River-Water ; andleaft ofall in Rain-Water : tho’ eventhere alfo it is to be This will be madeplainer by the following Tasuzs, fiderable Quantity, by reafonofits much greater {pecifick Gravity. On the Whole there- After a Month, the Roots and Stalk being growh much longer, new Buds break out at the firft Knot, andlittle Tumours bunch out, which, at length, break into Roots. : As to the vegetable Matter, or the Food all the modern Naturalifts, That the Vegetation of Plants, and even of Minerals too, is VE when, upon Examin c gone of and the reft, not Weather, fmall Drops The Plants here were all Spear Mint, the moft kindly, freth, fprightly Shoots he could choofe. The Water and Plants were weighed, as above, and the Phyals fet ina Linejin a South Window, 8 M where |