254 NATURAL HISTORY. 



walls, &c. is caused, for that those dried earths, 

 having not moisture sufficient to put forth a plant, 

 do practise germination by putting forth moss ; 

 though when, by age, or otherwise they grow 

 to relent and resolve, they sometimes put forth 

 plants, as wall-flowers. And almost all moss hath 

 here and there little stalks, besides the low thrum. 



538. Moss groweth upon alleys, especially such 

 as lie cold and upon the north ; as in divers 

 terrasses : and again, if they be much trodden ; 

 or if they were at the first gravelled ; for where 

 soever plants are kept down, the earth putteth 

 forth moss. 



539. Old ground, that hath been long unbroken 

 up, gathereth moss ; and therefore husbandmen use 

 to cure their pasture grounds when they grow to 

 moss, by tilling them for a year or two : which also 

 dependeth upon the same cause ; for that the more 

 sparing and starving juice of the earth, insufficient 

 for plants, doth breed moss. 



540. Old trees are more mossy far than young ; 

 for that the sap is not so frank as to rise all to 

 the boughs, but tireth by the way, and putteth 

 out moss. 



541. Fountains have moss growing upon the 

 ground about them ; 



&quot; Muscosi fontes :&quot; 



The cause is, for that the fountains drain the water 

 from the ground adjacent, and leave but sufficient 

 moisture to breed moss : and besides, the coldness of 

 the water conduceth to the same. 



