CENTURY V. 229 



much nourishment from the earth, and so soak the 

 earth and exhaust it, hurt all things that grow by 

 them ; as great trees, aspecially ashes, and such 

 trees as spread their roots near the top of the 

 ground. So the colewort is not an enemy, though 

 that were anciently received, to the vine only ; but 

 it is an enemy to any other plant, because it draw- 

 eth strongly the fattest juice of the earth. And if 

 it be true, that the vine when it creepeth near the 

 colewort will turn away, this may be, because there 

 it findeth worse nourishment ; for though the root 

 be where it was, yet, I doubt, the plant will bend 

 as it nourisheth. 



481. Where plants are of several natures, and 

 draw several juices out of the earth, there, as hath 

 been said, the one set by the other helpeth : as it is 

 set down by divers of the ancients, that rue doth 

 prosper much, and becometh stronger, if it be set by 

 a fig-tree, which, we conceive, is caused not by rea 

 son of friendship, but by extraction of a contrary 

 juice ; the one drawing juice fit to result sweet, the 

 other bitter. So they have set down likewise, that 

 a rose set by garlic is sweeter : which likewise may 

 be, because the more fetid juice of the earth goeth 

 into the garlic, and the more odorate into the rose. 



482. This we see manifestly, that there be cer 

 tain corn-flowers which come seldom or never in 

 other places, unless they be set, but only amongst 

 corn : as the blue bottle, a kind of yellow marygold, 

 wild poppy, and fumitory. Neither can this be, by 

 reason of the culture of the ground, by ploughing or 

 furrowing ; as some herbs and flowers will grow but 



