Admitting the correctness of these experiments, still it is not easy to conceive, how they will account satisfactorily for the _large_ quantities of salt found in the air during the storms under consideration. Whichever of these solutions may be adopted, it is unquestionably a fact that salt does, in some way or other, exist in the atmosphere in the neighbourhood of the sea. 2. The next object of inquiry is, the influence which this saline air has upon vegetable life. Independently of the facts already stated, there are many others which prove its deleterious agency upon the vegetable creation. Dr. Mitchill informs me, that in some parts of the south side of Long-Island fruit trees do not thrive well, except at a distance of thirty miles from the sea, and even the sturdy oak does not extend its branches towards the ocean.[61] If I am correctly informed, it was with great difficulty, that the trees on our Battery were made to accommodate themselves to a situation so near the salt water. It is also well known, that when plants are taken to sea, they speedily perish, if exposed but a short time to a wind, which is sufficiently strong to turn over the tops of the waves into _white caps_, as they are called by the sailors. In order to ascertain positively, whether these effects were to be attributed to the operation of salt, I made a solution of muriate of soda in common rain water; with this I watered for a couple of days the leaves of different plants. In a short time they began to dry up, and in a few days were completely dead. It appears from Volney, that the Egyptian air is strongly charged with salts. The evidences of it are to be found even at Cairo.[62] It is this property of the air, which this philosophical traveller considers, as one of the causes of the rapid vegetation in that country. He mentions, however, that _exotic_ plants will not thrive there. It is found necessary to renew the seeds of them every year. May not this be occasioned by the saline quality of the air? The _native_ plants are doubtless accustomed to its action, and do not so sensibly feel its injurious effects. And if the Egyptian air is so very penetrating from this very cause, as to produce ophthalmia, may we not rationally conclude, that its influence must be equally injurious to plants not accustomed to it.