1134. The preservation of vegetables for future use is effected by destroying or rendering dormant the principle of life, and by warding off, as far as practicable, the progress of chemical decomposition. Hence the herbs, or roots, or fruits of some vegetables, are dried ; others are placed beyond the reach of the active principles of vegetation, viz. heat and moisture,-as seeds, cuttings, scions, roots, and fruits ; and some are, in addition, excluded from the air, or placed in very low temperatures. All these practices are obviously merely imitations of what actually takes place in nature, from the withered grassy tussock to the hedgehog's winter store ; and hence the origin of herb, seed, fruit, and root rooms and cellars, and packing plants and seeds for sending them to a distance.
