CHAP, vii S Y L V A 317 



nurseries : The water should therefore be fitly qualify 'd, 

 neither brackish, bitter, stagnat, or putrid, sower, acri- 

 monious, vitriolic, arenous and gravelly, churlish, harsh 

 and lean; (I mention them promiscuously) and whatever 

 vicious quality they are perceptibly tinctur'd and im- 

 pregnate with, being by no means proper drink for 

 plants : Wherefore a very critical examen of this so 

 necessary an element (the very principle, as some think, 

 and only nutriment of vegetables) l is highly to be re- 

 garded, together with more than ordinary skill how to 

 apply it : In order to which, the constitution and tex- 

 ture of plants and trees are philosophically to be con- 

 sider'd; some affecting macerations with dung and other 

 mixtures (which I should not much commend) others 

 quite contrary, the quick and running spring, dangerous 

 enough, and worse than snow-water, which is not in 

 some cases to be rejected : Generally therefore that 

 were to be chosen, which passing silently through ponds 

 and other receptacles, exposed to the sun and air, near- 

 est approaching to that of rain, dropping from the 

 uberous cloud, is certainly the most natural and nursing : 

 As to the quantity, some plants require plentiful wa- 

 tering, others, rather often, than all at once; all of them 

 sucking it in by the root for the most part, which are 

 their mouths, and carry it thence through all the ca- 

 nales, organs and members of the whole vegetable body, 

 digested and qualified so as to maintain and supply 

 their being and growth, for the producing of whatever 

 they afford for the use of man, and other living creatures. 

 5. The bark-bound are to be released by drawing 

 your knife rind-deep from the root, as far as you can con- 

 veniently, drawing your knife from the top downwards 

 half-way, and at a small distance, from the bottom up- 



1 See Cap. 2 Book i. 



