CENTURY VI. 253 



forth, will dwarf it, and make it spread. The cause 

 is plain ; for that all things that grow, will grow as 

 they find room. 



535. Trees are generally set of roots or kernels ; 

 but if you set them of slips, as of some trees you may, 

 by name the mulberry, some of the slips will take ; 

 and those that take, as is reported, will be dwarf 

 trees. The cause is, for that a slip draweth nourish 

 ment 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 super- 

 plants. 



The Scripture saith, that Solomon wrote a Na 

 tural History, &quot; from the cedar of Libanus, to the 

 &quot; moss growing upon the wall ;&quot; 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 mold 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 



