BACON'S HORTICULTURE 267 



printed with the h'sts of exotic plants on p. 363. The following 

 horticultural notes were evidently extracted by Parkinson from 

 Francis Bacon's Naturall Historie, Century v, 1627 '■> but another 

 possibility should not be lost sight of, namely that Bacon may have 

 derived part of his horticultural knowledge from the distinguished 

 botanical writer who two years later dedicated his Paradisiis in 

 Sole to Queen Henrietta Maria. 



Notes on Horticulture by Parkinson. 



The steepings of Wheate seede in horse dung, cowe dung, pigeon dung, urine, 

 chalke, bay salt, claret wine, soote, ashes, malmesey, & spirite of wine : the 

 urine, soote, ashes, chalk & salt shooting within six dayes, the best & lustiest 

 of them was first from the urine, then dung, next chalke, then soote & then 

 ashes, & last the salt therewith wines not at all except the claret wine. [Bacon, 

 Sylv. sylv. § 402.] 



The drawing of boughes of a tree or vine to the inside of a roome where fyre 

 is continually kept doth accelerate the fruite a moneth sooner. [§ 405.] 



The removing of living plantes into new freshe & loose earth once in a yeare 

 doth accelerate & enlarge them. [§ 406.] 



The grafting of Roses in Maye will cause them to beare flowers the same 

 yeare but late. [§ 418.] The binding also of the bark worketh the like effect. 

 [§ 419-] Grafting upon contrary stocks will never thrive long, as Peaches on 

 Cherryes etc., the cause is the cyon overruleth the stock quite, the stock is but 

 passive onely & giveth aliment but no motion to the graft. [§ 421.] 



The laying of a heape of fiinte or other stones about the roote of a wild tree 

 doth make it prosper twise as much as without them, because the stones retaine 

 moisture longer & not to be consumed so soone, it keepeth also the tree from 

 cold blastes & frosts & geveth more warmth at all tymes. [§ 422.] 



To boare a hole in a tree that beareth not is usually done to cause it bearing ; 

 too much repletion may be the cause opprest with his sap. [§ 428.] As also 

 to cleave 2 or 3 of the cheife rootes & to put a peble into cache to keepe them 

 open for els they will close againe. [§ 429.] 



To drawe the bough of a tree through a wall to the south sun hath been 

 practised by some to ripen the fruite the better, but it sorted not. [§ 431.] 



It were good to trye whether a tree grafted lowe & the lower boughes 

 maintained, the upper ones being continually proined off, would not make 

 larger fruite. [§ 432.] 



It is expected that trees will growe greater & beare better fruite if you putt 

 salt, lees of wine or blood to the roote which are more forcible. [§ 457.] 



It is also delyvered before that if one take the bough of of a lowe fruit tree 

 newly budded & drawe it gently without hurting it into an earthen pot perforate 

 at the bottome & set in the slant & then cover the pot with earth, it will yield 

 a very large fruite within the ground, the like will be effected by an empty 

 pot without earth in it, put over a fruit propped up with a stake as it hangeth 

 on the tree, the pot being perforate to let in aire. [§ 470.] [MS. 11, f. 168] 



On the same paper are several entertaining notes in Parkinson's 

 handwriting relating to Brazilian and Peruvian plants and their 

 * vertues'. 



