after that wherein M was placed, was still'd off, had in fine more than double its original weight and bulk; and receiv'd above twice the additional Encrease, than that in M, which stood in the thinner distill'd Water, had done. And, which is not less considerable, had not drawn off half the Quantity of Water that that
Why, in the beginning of this Article, I limit the Proportion of the Augment of the Plant to the Quantity of proper Terrestrial Matter in the Water, is, because all, even the Vegetable Matter, to say nothing of the Mineral, is not proper for the Nourishment of every Plant. There may be, and doubtless are, some Parts in different Species of Plants, that may be much alike, and so owe their Supply to the same common Matter; but 'tis plain all cannot. And there are other Parts so differing, that 'tis no ways credible they should be formed all out of the same sort of Corpuscles. So far from it, that there want not good Indications, as we shall see by and by, that every kind of Vegetable requires a peculiar and specifick Matter for its Formation and Nourishment. Yea, each Part of the same Vegetable does so; and there are very many and different Ingredients go to the Composition of the same individual Plant. If therefore the Soil, wherein any Vegetable or Seed is planted, contains all or most of these ingredients, and those in due quantity, it will grow and thrive there; otherwise 'twill not. If there be not as many sorts of Corpuscles as are requisite for the Constitution of the main and more essential Parts of the Plant, 'twill not prosper at all. If there be these, and not in sufficient Plenty, 'twill starve, and never arrive to its natural Stature: Or if there be any the less necessary and essential Corpuscles wanting, there will be some failure in the Plant; 'twill be defective in Taste, in Smell, in Colour, or some other way. But though a Tract of Land