CENTURY VII. 293 



specially those that bear mast, are fruitful but once 

 in two years. The cause, no doubt, is the expence 

 of sap ; for many orchard trees, well cultured, will 

 bear divers years together. 



635. There is no tree, which besides the natural 

 fruit doth bear so many bastard fruits as the oak 

 doth : for besides the acorn, it beareth galls, oak 

 apples, and certain oak nuts, which are inflammable, 

 and certain oak berries, sticking close to the body of 

 the tree without stalk. It beareth also misseltoe, 

 though rarely. The cause of all these may be, the 

 closeness and solidness of the wood, and pith of the 

 oak, which maketh several juices find several erup 

 tions. And therefore if you will devise to make any 

 super-plants, you must ever give the sap plentiful 

 rising and hard issue. 



636. There are two excrescences which grow 

 upon trees ; both of them in the nature of mush 

 rooms : the one the Romans call boletus ; which 

 groweth upon the roots of oaks, and was one of the 

 dainties of their table ; the other is medicinal, that 

 is called agaric, whereof we have spoken before, 

 which groweth upon the tops of oaks ; though it -be 

 affirmed by some, that it groweth also at the roots. 

 I do conceive, that many excrescences of trees grow 

 chiefly where the tree is dead or faded ; for that the 

 natural sap of the tree corrupted! into some preter 

 natural substance. 



637. The greater part of trees bear most and 

 best on the lower boughs ; as oaks, figs, walnuts, 

 pears, &c. but some bear best on the top boughs, as 



