CENTURY V. 217 



biting of wasps or worms upon fruit, whereby it 

 manifestly ripeneth the sooner. 



44&amp;lt;7. It is reported, that &quot; alga marina,&quot; sea 

 weed, put under the roots of coleworts, and, perhaps, 

 of other plants, will further their growth. The 

 virtue, no doubt, hath relation to salt, which is a 

 great help to fertility. 



448. It hath been practised, to cut off the stalks 

 of cucumbers, immediately after their bearing, close 

 by the earth ; and then to cast a pretty quantity of 

 earth upon the plant that remaineth, and they will 

 bear the next year fruit long before the ordinary 

 time. The cause may be, for that the sap goeth 

 down the sooner, and is not spent in the stalk or 

 leaf, which remaineth after the fruit. Where note, 

 that the dying in the winter of the roots of plants 

 that are annual, seemeth to be partly caused by the 

 over-expence of the sap into stalk and leaves ; which 

 being prevented, they will super-annuate, if they 

 stand warm. 



449. The pulling off many of .the blossoms from 

 a fruit-tree doth make the fruit fairer. The cause 

 is manifest ; for that the sap hath the less to nourish. 

 And it is a common experience, that if you do not 

 pull off some blossoms the first time a tree bloometh, 

 it will blossom itself to death. 



450. It were good to try what would be the 

 effect, if all the blossoms were pulled from a fruit- 

 tree : or ther acorns and chestnut-buds, &c. from a 

 wild tree, for two years together. I suppose that 

 the tree will either put forth the third year bigger 



