240 NATURAL HISTORY. 



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of earth or wood. So you may have cucumbers, &c. 

 as long as a cane ; or as round as a sphere ; or 

 formed like a cross. You may have also apples in 

 the form of pears or lemons. You may have also 

 fruit in more accurate figures, as we said of men, 

 beasts, or birds, according as you make the molds. 

 Wherein you must understand, that you make the 

 mold big enough to contain the whole fruit when 

 it is grown to the greatest : for else you will choke 

 the spreading of the fruit ; which otherwise would 

 spread itself, and fill the concave, and so be turned 

 into the shape desired ; as it is in mold works of 

 liquid things. Some doubt may be conceived, that 

 the keeping of the sun from the fruit may hurt it : 

 but there is ordinary experience of fruit that grow- 

 eth covered. Query, also, whether some small 

 holes may not be made in the wood to let in the sun. 

 And note, that it were best to make the molds par 

 tible, glued, or cemented together, that you may 

 open them when you take out the fruit. 



503. It is a curiosity to have inscriptions, or en 

 gravings, in fruit or trees. This is easily performed, 

 by writing with a needle, or bodkin, or knife, or the 

 like, when the fruit or trees are young ; for as they 

 grow, so the letters will grow more large and gra 

 phical, 



Tenerisque mecs incidere amores 

 Arboribus ; crescent illee, crescetis amores. 



504. You may have trees apparelled with flowers 

 or herbs, by boring holes in the bodies of them, and 



