CHAP, in S Y L V A 227 



how, when our oak-woods are grubb'd up, beech, and 

 trees of other kinds, have frequently succeeded them : 

 What some impetuous winds have done in this nature, 

 I could produce instances almost miraculous : I shall 

 say nothing of the opinion of our master Varro, and 

 the learned l Theophrastus, who were both of a faith, 

 that the seeds of plants drop'd out of the air. Pliny 

 in his 1 6th. book, chap. 33. upon discourse of the 

 Cretan cypress, attributes much to the mdo/es, and 

 nature of the soil, virtue of the climate, and impressions 

 of the air. And indeed it is very strange, what is 

 affirm'd of that pitchy-rain, (reported to have fallen 

 about Cyrene, the year 430. U. C.) after which, in a 

 short time, sprung up a whole wood of the trees of 

 Laserpicium, producing a precious gum, not much 

 inferior to benzoin, if at least the story be warrantable: 

 But of these aerial irradiations, various conceptions, 

 and aequivocal productions without seed, &c. difficult- 

 ies to be solv'd by our philosophers, whence those 

 leaves of the platan come; which Dr. Spon tells us (in 

 his Travels) are found floating in some of the fountains 

 of the isles of the Strophades ; no such tree growing 

 near them by 30 miles : But these may haply be 

 convey'd thro' some unknown subterranean passage ; 

 for were it by the wind, it having a very large leaf, 

 they would be been flying in, or falling out of the air. 

 6. In transplanting of these coniferous trees, which 

 are generally resinaceous, viz. fir, pine, larix, cedar, 

 and which have but thin and single roots, you must 

 never diminish their heads, nor be at all busie with 

 their roots, which pierce deep, and is all their found- 

 ation, unless you find any of them bruised, or much 

 broken ; therefore such down-right roots as you may 



1 De causis, 1. i. cap. 5. 



