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e: AGRICULTURE WITH CHEMISTRY: 27

having undergone, by the vegetative process, their full degree of concoction and maturation: whence it is ob- vious, that neither the precise food of vegetables, nor their component parts, can be ascertained by any ana- lysis of them by fire; at least itis not practicable with the several substances, resulting from such process, to

recompose a juice, or fluid, similar to that by which the

_vegetable had originally been nourished.

It has been stated, that by an intense degree of heat all the component parts of vegetables, excepting the earthy, may be resolved into permanently elastic fluids,

or gasses; and into the compound substance called water.

By vegetables being thus reduced to their simple or elementary principles, they are found to be composed of gasses, With a small proportion of calcareous matter. Al- though this discovery may appear of small moment to the practical farmer, yet it is well deserving of his atten- tion and notice, as it throws great light on the nature and food of vegetables, and proves that a large proportion

of vegetables consist of the aery form, fluids or gasses.

D2 ANALYSIS