dwarf trees. The cause is, for that a slip draweth | nourishment more weakly than either a root or kernel. 536. All plants that put forth their sap hastily have their bodies not proportionable to their length, and therefore they are winders and creepers; as ivy, briony, hops, woodbine; whereas dwarfing requireth a slow putting forth, and less vigour of mounting. Experiments in consort touching the rudiments of plants, and of the excrescences of plants, or superplants. The Scripture saith, that Solomon wrote a Natural History," from the cedar of Libanus, to the moss growing upon the wall;" for so the best translations have it. And it is true that moss is but the rudiment of a plant; and, as it were, the mould of earth or bark. 537. Moss groweth chiefly upon ridges of houses tiled or thatched, and upon the crests of walls; and that moss is of a lightsome and pleasant green. The growing upon slopes is caused, for that moss, as on the one side it cometh of moisture and water, so on the other side the water must but slide, and not stand or pool. And the growing upon tiles, or walls, &c., is caused for that those dried earths, having not moisture sufficient to put forth a plant, do practise germination by putting forth moss; though when, by age, or otherwise, they grow to relent and resolve, they sometimes put forth plants, as wall-flowers. And almost all moss hath here and there little stalks, besides the low thrum. 538. Moss groweth upon alleys, especially such as lie cold and upon the north; as in divers terraces and again, if they be much trodden; or if they were at the first gravelled; for wheresoever plants are kept down, the earth putteth forth moss. 539. Old ground, that hath been long unbroken up, gathereth moss; and therefore husbandmen use to cure their pasture grounds when they grow to moss, by tilling them for a year or two: which also dependeth upon the same cause; for that the more sparing and starving juice of the earth, insufficient for plants, doth breed moss. 540. Old trees are more mossy far than young; for that the sap is not so frank as to rise all to the boughs, but tireth by the way, and putteth out moss. 541. Fountains have moss growing upon the ground about them : "Muscosi fontes." The cause is, for that the fountains drain the water from the ground adjacent, and leave but sufficient moisture to breed moss: and besides, the coldness of the water conduceth to the same. 542. The moss of trees is a kind of hair; for it is the juice of the tree that is excerned, and doth not assimilate. And upon great trees the moss gathereth a figure like a leaf. 543. The moister sort of trees yield but little moss, as we see in asps, poplars, willows, beeches, &c., which is partly caused for the reason that hath been given, of the frank putting up of the sap into the boughs; and partly for that the barks of those trees are more close and smooth than those of oaks and ashes; whereby the moss can the hardlier issue out. 544. In clay-grounds all fruit-trees grow full of moss both upon body and boughs, which is caused partly by the coldness of the ground, whereby the plants nourish less, and partly by the roughness of the earth, whereby the sap is shut in, and cannot get up to spread so frankly as it should do. 545. We have said heretofore, that if trees be hide-bound, they wax less fruitful, and gather moss; and that they are holpen by hacking, &c. And therefore by the reason of contraries, if trees be bound in with cords, or some outward bands, they will put forth more moss; which, I think, happeneth to trees that stand bleak, and upon the cold winds. It would also be tried, whether, if you cover a tree somewhat thick upon the top after his polling it will not gather more moss. I think also the watering of trees with cold fountain-water will make them grow full of moss. 546. There is a moss the perfumers have, which cometh out of apple trees, that hath an excellent scent. Query, particularly for the manner of the growth, and the nature of it. And for this experiment's sake, being a thing of price, I have set down the last experiments how to multiply and call on mosses. Next unto moss, I will speak of mushrooms; which are likewise an imperfect plant. The mushrooms have two strange properties; the one, that they yield so delicious a meat; the other, that they come up so hastily, as in a night; and yet they are unsown. And therefore such as are upstarts in state they call in reproach mushrooms. It must needs be, therefore, that they be made of much moisture; and that moisture fat, gross, and yet somewhat concocted. And, indeed, we find that mushrooms cause the accident which we call "incubus" or the mare in the stomach. And therefore the surfeit of them inay suffocate and empoison. And this showeth that they are windy; and that windiness is gross and swelling, not sharp or griping. And upon the same reason mushrooms are a venerous meat. 547. It is reported, that the bark of white or red poplar, which are of the moistest of trees, cut small, and cast into furrows well dunged, will cause the ground to put forth mushrooms at ali seasons of the year fit to be eaten. Some add to the mixture leaven of bread dissolved in water. 548. It is reported, that if a hilly field, where the stubble is standing, be set on fire in the showery season, it will put forth great store of mushrooms. 549. It is reported, that hartshorn, shaven, or in small pieces, mixed with dung and watered, putteth up mushrooms. And we know that hartshorn is of a fat and clammy substance: and it may be ox-horn would do the like. 550. It hath been reported, though it be scarce credible, that ivy hath grown out of a stag's horn; which they suppose did rather come from a confrication of the horn upon the ivy, than from the horn itself. There is not known any substance but earth, and procedures of earth, as tile, stone, &c., that yieldeth any moss or herby substance. There may be trial made of some seeds, as that of fennel-seed, mustard-seeds, and rape-seeds, put into some little holes made in the horns of stags, or oxen, to see if they will grow. feedeth upon a seed, which many times she cannot digest, and so expelleth it whole with her excrement: which falling upon a bough of a tree that hath some rift, putteth forth the misseltoe. But this is a fable, for it is not probable that birds should feed upon that they cannot digest. But allow that, yet it cannot be for other reasons; for first, it is found but upon certain trees; and those trees bear no such fruit, as may allure that bird to sit and feed upon them. It may be, that bird feedeth upon the misseltoe-berries, and so is often found there; which may have given occasion to the tale. But that which maketh an end of the question is, that misseltoe hath been found to put forth under the boughs, and not only above the boughs; so it cannot be any thing that falleth upon the bough. Misseltoe groweth chiefly upon crab-trees, apple-trees, sometimes upon hazles, and rarely upon oaks the misseltoe whereof is counted very medicinal. It is ever green winter and summer, and beareth a white glistering 551. There is also another imperfect plant, that in show is like a great mushroom: and it is sometimes as broad as one's hat; which they call a toad's stool; but it is not esculent; and it groweth, commonly, by a dead stub of a tree, and likewise about the roots of rotten trees: and there-berry and it is a plant utterly differing from the fore seemeth to take his juice from wood putrefied. Which showeth, by the way, that wood putrefied yieldeth a frank moisture. 552. There is a cake that groweth upon the side of a dead tree, that hath gotten no name, but it is large, and of a chestnut colour, and hard and pithy; whereby it should seem, that even dead trees forget not their putting forth: no more than the carcasses of men's bodies, that put forth hair and nails for a time. 553. There is a cod, or bag, that groweth commonly in the fields; that at the first is hard like a tennis-ball, and white; and after groweth of a mushroom colour, and full of light dust upon the breaking, and is thought to be dangerous for the eyes if the powder get into them, and to be good for kibes. Belike it hath a corrosive and fretting nature. 554. There is an herb called Jew's ear, that groweth upon the roots and lower parts of the bodies of trees; especially of elders, and sometimes ashes. It hath a strange property; for in warm water it swelleth, and openeth extremely. It is not green, but of dusky brown colour. And it is used for squinancies and inflammations in the throat; whereby it seemeth to have a mollifying and lenifying virtue. 555. There is a kind of spungy excrescence, which groweth chiefly upon the roots of the laser-tree; and sometimes upon cedar and other trees. It is very white, and light, and friable; which we call agaric. It is famous in physic for the purging of tough phlegm. And it is also an excellent opener for the liver; but offensive to the stomach: and in taste, it is at the first sweet, and after bitter. 556. We find no super-plant that is a formed plant, but misseltoe. They have an idle tradition, that there is a bird called a misselbird, that plant upon which it groweth. Two things therefore may be certainly set down: first, that superfœtation must be by abundance of sap in the bough that putteth it forth: secondly, that that sap must be such as the tree doth excern, and cannot assimilate; for else it would go into a bough, and besides, it seemeth to be more fat and unctuous than the ordinary sap of the tree; both by the berry, which is clammy; and by that it continueth green winter and summer, which the tree doth not. 557. This experiment of misseltoe may give light to other practices. Therefore trial would be made by ripping of the bough of a crab-tree in the bark, and watering of the wound every day with warm water dunged, to see if it would bring forth misseltoe, or any such like thing. But it were yet more likely to try it with some other watering or anointing, that were not so natural to the tree as water is; as oil, or barm of drink, &c., so they be such things as kill not the bough. 558. It were good to try, what plants would put forth, if they be forbidden to put forth their natural boughs; poll therefore a tree, and cover it some thickness with clay on the top, and see what it will put forth. I suppose it will put forth roots; for so will a cion, being turned down into the clay: therefore, in this experiment also, the tree would be closed with somewhat that is not so natural to the plant as clay is. Try it with leather, or cloth, or painting, so it be not hurtful to the tree. And it is certain, that a brake hath been known to grow out of a pollard. 559. A man may count the prickles of trees to be a kind of excrescence; for they will never be boughs, nor bear leaves. The plants that have prickles are thorns, black and white; brier, rose, lemon-trees, crab-trees, gooseberry, berberry; these have it in the bough: the plants that have 566. It is reported, that earth being taken out of shady and watery woods some depth, and potted, will put forth herbs of a fat and juicy substance; as pennywort, purslane, houseleek, pennyroyal, &c. prickles in the leaf are, holly, juniper, whin-bush, can; but after that the earth is somewhat loosened thistle; nettles also have a small venomous at the top, the ordinary grass cometh up. prickle, so hath borage, but harmless. The cause must be hasty putting forth, want of moisture, and the closeness of the bark, for the haste of the spirit to put forth, and the want of nourishment to put forth a bough, and the closeness of the bark, cause prickles in boughs, and therefore they are ever like a pyramis, for that the moisture spendeth after a little putting forth. And for prickles in leaves, they come also of putting forth more juice into the leaf than can spread in the leaf smooth, and therefore the leaves otherwise are rough, as borage and nettles are. As for the leaves of holly, they are smooth but never plain, but as it were with folds, for the same cause. 567. The water also doth send forth plants that have no roots fixed in the bottom, but they are less perfect plants, being almost but leaves, and those small ones; such is that we call duckweed, which hath a leaf no bigger than a thyme leaf, but of a fresher green, and putteth forth a little string into the water far from the bottom. As for the water-lily, it hath a root in the ground; and so have a number of other herbs that grow in ponds. 568. It is reported by some of the ancients, and some modern testimony likewise, that there be some plants that grow upon the top of the sea, be from the water, where the sun beateth hot, and where the sea stirreth little. As for alga marina, sea weed, and eryngium, sea thistle, both have roots; but the sea weed under the water, the sea thistle but upon the shore. 560. There be also plants, that though they have no prickles, yet they have a kind of downy or velvet rind upon their leaves; as rose-campion, stockgilly flowers, colt's-foot; which down or nap cometh of a subtile spirit, in a soft or fat sub-ing supposed to grow of some concretion of slime stance. For it is certain, that both stockgillyflowers and rose-campions, stamped, have been applied with success to the wrists of those that have had tertian or quartan agues; and the vapour of colt's-foot hath a sanative virtue towards the lungs, and the leaf also is healing in surgery. 561. Another kind of excrescence is an exudation of plants joined with putrefaction; as we see in oak-apples, which are found chiefly upon the leaves of oaks, and the like upon willows: and | country people have a kind of prediction, that if the oak-apple broken be full of worms, it is a sign of a pestilent year, which is a likely thing, because they grow of corruption. 562. There is also upon sweet, or other brier, a fine tuft or brush of moss of divers colours; which if you cut you shall ever find full of little white worms. 569. The ancients have noted, that there are some herbs that grow out of snow laid up close together and putrefied, and that they are all bitter, and they name one specially, "flomus," which we call moth-mullein. It is certain, that worms are found in snow commonly, like earth-worms; and therefore it is not unlike, that it may likewise put forth plants. 570. The ancients have affirmed, that there are some herbs that grow out of stone, which may be, for that it is certain that toads have been found in the middle of a free-stone. We see also that flints, lying above ground, gather moss; and wall flowers, and some other flowers, grow upon walls; Experiments in consort touching the producing of but whether upon the main brick or stone, or whe perfect plants without seed. 563. It is certain, that earth taken out of the foundations of vaults and houses, and bottoms of wells, and then put into pots, will put forth sundry kinds of herbs: but some time is required for the germination: for if it be taken but from a fathom deep, it will put forth the first year; if much deeper, not till after a year or two. 564. The nature of the plants growing out of earth so taken up, doth follow the nature of the mould itself; as, if the mould be soft and fine, it 'putteth forth soft herbs, as grass, plantain, and the like; if the earth be harder and coarser, it putteth forth herbs more rough, as thistles, firs, &c. 565. It is common experience, that where alleys are close gravelled, the earth putteth forth the first year knot grass, and after spire grass. The cause is, for that the hard gravel or pebble at the first laying will not suffer the grass to come forth apright, but turneth it to find his way where it ther out of the lime or chinks, is not well observed: for elders and ashes have been seen to grow out of steeples; but they manifestly grow out of clefts; insomuch as when they grow big they will disjoin the stone. And besides, it is doubtful whether the mortar itself putteth it forth, or whether some seeds be not let fall by birds. There be likewise rock-herbs, but I suppose those are where there is some mould or earth. It hath likewise been found, that great trees growing upon quarries have put down their root into the stone. 571. In some mines in Germany, as is reported, there grow in the bottom vegetables, and the workfolks use to say they have magical virtue, and will not suffer men to gather them. 572. The sea sands seldom bear plants. Whereof the cause is yielded by some of the ancients, for that the sun exhaleth the moisture before it can incorporate with the earth, and yield a nourishment for the plant. And it is affirmed also that sand hath always its root in clay; and that there be no veins of sand any great depth within the earth. 573. It is certain, that some plants put forth for a time of their own store, without any nourishment from earth, water, stone, &c., of which vide the experiment 29. Experiments in consort touching foreign plants. 574. It is reported, that earth that was brought out of the Indies and other remote countries for ballast of ships, cast upon some grounds in Italy, did put forth foreign herbs, to us in Europe not known; and, that which is more, that of their roots, barks, and seeds, contused together, and | mingled with other earth, and well watered with warm water, there came forth herbs much like the other. 575. Plants brought out of hot countries will endeavour to put forth at the same time that they usually do in their own climate; and therefore to preserve them, there is no more required, than to keep them from the injury of putting back by cold. It is reported also, that grain out of the hotter countries translated into the colder, will be more forward than the ordinary grain of the cold country. It is likely that this will prove better in grains than in trees, for that grains are but annual, and so the virtue of the seed is not worn out; whereas in a tree it is embased by the ground to which it is removed. 576. Many plants which grow in the hotter countries, being set in the colder, will nevertheless, even in those cold countries, being sown of seeds late in the spring, come up and abide most part of the summer; as we find it in orange and lemon seeds, &c., the seeds whereof sown in the end of April will bring forth excellent salads, mingled with other herbs. And I doubt not, but the seeds of clove-trees, and pepper seeds, &c., if they could come hither green enough to be sown, would do the like. much moisture, either watery or oily. And therefore crocus vernus also being an herb that hath an oily juice, putteth forth early; for those also find the sun sooner than the drier trees. The grains are, first, rye and wheat, then oats and barley, then peas and beans. For though green peas and beans be eaten sooner, yet the dry ones that are used for horse meat, are ripe last; and it seemeth that the fatter grain cometh first. The earliest fruits are strawberries, cherries, gooseberries, currants; and after them early apples, early pears, apricots, rasps; and after them damascenes, and most kind of plums, peaches, &c., and the latest are apples, wardens, grapes, nuts, quinces, almonds, sloes, brier-berries, hips, medlars, services, cornelians, &c. 578. It is to be noted, that, commonly, trees that ripen latest blossom soonest; as peaches, cornelians, sloes, almonds, &c.; and it seemeth to be a work of providence that they blossom so soon; for otherwise they could not have the sun long enough to ripen. 579. There be fruits, but rarely, that come twice a year; as some pears, strawberries, &c. And it seemeth they are such as abound with nourishment; whereby after one period, before the sun waxeth too weak, they can endure another. The violet also, amongst flowers, cometh twice a year, especially the double white; and that also is a plant full of moisture. Roses come twice, but it is not without cutting, as hath been formerly said. 580. In Muscovy, though the corn come not up till late spring, yet their harvest is as early as ours. The cause is, for that the strength of the ground is kept in with the snow; and we see with us, that if it be a long winter, it is commonly a more plentiful year; and after those kind of winters likewise, the flowers and corn, which are earlier and later, do come commonly at once, and at the same time, which troubleth the husbandman many times; for you shall have red roses and damask roses come together; and likewise the harvest of wheat and barley. Experiments in consort touching the seasons in which But this happeneth ever, for that the earlier stay plants come forth. eth for the later, and not that the later cometh sooner. 581. There be divers fruit trees in the hot countries, which have blossoms, and young fruit, and ripe fruit, almost all the year succeeding one another. And it is said the orange hath the like with us for a great part of summer, and so also hath the fig. And no doubt the natural motion of plants is to have so; but that either they want juice to spend, or they meet with the cold of the winter; and therefore this circle of ripening cannot be but in succulent plants and hot countries. 577. There be some flowers, blossoms, grains, and fruits, which come more early, and others which come more late in the year. The flowers that come early with us are primroses, violets, anemonies, water-daffodillies, crocus vernus, and some early tulips. And they are all cold plants; which therefore, as it should seem, have a quicker perception of the heat of the sun increasing than the hot herbs have; as a cold hand will sooner find a little warmth than a hot. And those that come next after are wallflowers, cowslips, hyacinths, rosemary flowers, &c., and after them pinks, roses, 582. Some herbs are but annual, and die, root flower-de-luces, &c., and the latest are gillyflowers, and all, once a year: as borage, lettuce, cucumholyoaks, larksfoot, &c. The earliest blossoms bers, musk-melons, basil, tobacco, mustard-seed, are the blossoms of peaches, almonds, cornelians, and all kinds of corn: some continue many years. mezerious, &c., and they are of such trees as have as hyssop, germander, lavender, fennel, &c The cause of the dying is double; the first is the tenderness and weakness of the seed, which maketh the period in a small time: as it is in borage, lettuce, cucumbers, corn, &c., and therefore none of these are hot. The other cause is, for that some herbs can worse endure cold; as basil, tobacco, mustard-seed. And these have all much heat. Experiments in consort touching the lasting of herbs and trees. 583. The lasting of plants is most in those that are largest of body; as oaks, elm, chestnut, the loat-tree, &c., and this holdeth in trees; but in herbs it is often contrary: for borage, colewort, pompions, which are herbs of the largest size, are of small durance; whereas hyssop, winter-savoury, germander, thyme, sage, will last long. The cause is, for that trees last according to the strength and quantity of their sap and juice, being well munited by their bark against the injuries of the air; but herbs draw a weak juice and have a soft stalk, and therefore those amongst them which last longest are herbs of strong smell, and with a sticky stalk. 584. Trees that bear mast, and nuts, are commonly more lasting than those that bear fruits, especially the moister fruits; as oaks, beeches, chestnuts, walnuts, almonds, pine trees, &c. last longer than apples, pears, plums, &c. The cause is, the fatness and oiliness of the sap, which ever wasteth less than the more watery. ever maketh the herb come later than at its time, will make it last longer time: it were good to try it in a stalk of wheat, &c. set in the shade, and encompassed with a case of wood, not touching the straw, to keep out open air. As for the preservation of fruits and plants, as well upon the tree or stalk, as gathered, we shall handle it under the title of conservation of bodies. Experiments in consort touching the several figures of plants. 588. The particular figures of plants we leave to their descriptions; but some few things in general we will observe. Trees and herbs, in the growing forth of their boughs and branches, are not figured, and keep no order. The cause is, for that the sap being restrained in the rind and bark, breaketh not forth at all, as in the bodies of trees, and stalks of herbs, till they begin to branch; and then when they make an eruption, they break forth casually, where they find best way in the bark or rind. It is true, that some trees are more scattered in their boughs; as sallow-trees, wardentrees, quince-trees, medlar-trees, lemon-trees, &c.: some are more in the form of a pyramis, and come almost to todd; as the pear-tree, which the critics will have to borrow his name of up fire, orangetrees, fir-trees, service-trees, lime-trees, &c.: and some are more spread and broad; as beeches, hornbeam, &c., the rest are more indifferent. The cause of scattering the boughs, is the hasty breaking forth of the sap; and therefore those trees rise not in a body of any height, but branch near the ground. The cause of the pyramis is the keeping in of the sap long before it branch; and the spending of it, when it beginneth to branch, by equal degrees. The spreading is caused by the carrying up of the sap plentifully without expense; and then putting it forth speedily and at once. 585. Trees that bring forth their leaves late in the year, and cast them likewise late, are more Jasting than those that sprout their leaves early, or shed them betimes. The cause is, for that the late coming forth showeth a moisture more fixed, and the other loose and more easily resolved. And the same cause is, that wild trees last longer than garden trees; and in the same kind, those whose fruit is acid more than those whose fruit is sweet. 589. There be divers herbs, but no trees, that 586. Nothing procureth the lasting of trees, may be said to have some kind of order in the bushes, and herbs, so much as often cutting, for putting forth their leaves; for they have joints or every cutting causeth a renovation of the juice of knuckles, as it were stops in their germination; the plant; that it neither goeth so far, nor riseth as have gillyflowers, pinks, fennel, corn, reeds, so faintly, as when the plant is not cut; inso- and canes. The cause whereof is, for that the much as annual plants, if you cut them season-sap ascendeth unequally, and doth, as it were, ably, and will spare the use of them, and suf- tire and stop by the way. And it seemeth they fer them to come up still young, will last more years than one, as hath been partly touched; such as is lettuce, purslane, cucumber, and the like. And for great trees, we see almost all overgrown trees in churchyards, or near ancient buildings, and the like, are pollards, or dottards, and not trees at their full height. 587. Some experiment would be made, how by art to make plants more lasting than their ordinary period; as to make a stalk of wheat, &c. last a whole year. You must ever presuppose, that you handle it so as the winter killeth it not, for we speak only of prolonging the natural period. I conceive that the rule will hold, that whatso have some closeness and hardness in their stalk, which hindereth the sap from going up, until it hath gathered into a knot, and so is more urged to put forth. And therefore they are most of them hollow when the stalk is dry, as fennel-stalk, stubble, and canes. 590. Flowers have all exquisite figures; and the flower numbers are chiefly five, and four; as in primroses, brier-roses, single musk roses, single pinks, and gillyflowers, &c., which have five leaves: lilies, flower-de-luces, borage, bugloss, &c., which have four leaves. But some put forth leaves not numbered; but they are ever small ones; as marygolds, trefoils, &c. We see also, |