A discovery of the true cause of the wonderful multiplication of corn; with some general remarks upon the nature of trees and plants / By Dr. Wolfius.

  • Wolff, Christian, Freiherr von, 1679-1754.
Date:
1734
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A discovery of the true cause of the wonderful multiplication of corn; with some general remarks upon the nature of trees and plants / By Dr. Wolfius. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    14/58 (page 6)
    18. Laffcly, as for what concerns the Caufe of many Ears growing out of a tingle Corn, that has lain a foking, I found our Abbot's Opinion of it in the beginning of the 7th Chapter. . He takes to be true what fome modern Philofophers have advanced, and what particularly Mr. Malebranche endeavours to demonftrate in his Recherche de la Verite T. 1. B. j. C. 1. p. m. 38.feq. that all thofe Ears which in a thoufand and more Years grow fucceffively out of one grain, do exift in that very grain perfe&ly formed, be they never fo little. According to this opinion, there lies concealed in that lingle Grain, which this Year is thrown into the Earth, the per- fe£t Stalk with the Ear and all its grains. Moreo¬ ver there is all the Ears in it, that grow out of thefe Grains the enfuing Year j alfo all the Ears that grow out of the Grains of the fecond Year, in the third Year; no lefs the Ears that fprout forth in the fourth Year out of the Grains of the third, and fo further in infinitum. Therefore our Author thinks, that thofe Grains might be brought forth in one Year, which Nature does by Degrees in more Years, in cafe Ihe is aflifted by the foking of the Seed, and that the Salt-petre forces out befides the principal Stalk fome others, that would not gain ftrength but the enfuing Years. Nay, becaufe he has perhaps called to mind Dodart*s feeing many Ears upon one Halm, (§. 11.) he adds moreover, that the capital Halm contains an infinite Number of Ears, that comes only to their full growth in following Ears, unlefs that many of them are ex¬ pelled in one Year by the force of Salt-petre and the faltifh Particles, they have been foking in. ip. I don't doubt in the leaft, but that a great many