608 The Corollarie to this Orchard. 



15. Larix. The Larch tree. 



THe Larch tree, where it naturally groweth, rifeth vp to be as tall as the Pine or 

 Firre tree, but in our Land being rare, and nourfed vp but with a few, and 

 thofe onely louers of rarities, it groweth both flowly, and becommeth not 

 high : the barke hereof is very rugged and thicke, the boughes and branches grow one 

 aboue another in a very comely order, hauing diuers fmall yellowifh knobs or bun- 

 ches fet thereon at feuerall diftances ; from whence doe yearely fhoote forth many 

 fmall, long, and narrow fmooth leaues together, both fhorter and fmaller, and not fo 

 hard or fharpe pointed as either the Pine or Firre tree leaues, which doe not abide 

 the Winter as they doe, but fall away euery yeare, as other trees which (bed their 

 leaues, and gaine frefh euery Spring : the bloflbmes are very beautifull and deleclable, 

 being of an excellent fine crimfon colour, which ftanding among the greene leaues, 

 allure the eyes of the beholders to regard it with the more defire : it alfo beareth in the 

 naturall places (but not in our Land that I could heare) fmall foft cones or fruit, fome- 

 what like vnto CyprefTe nuts, when they are greene and clofe. 



The Vfe of the Larch tree. 



The coles of the wood hereof (becaufe it is fo hard and durable as none 

 more) is held to be of moft force being fired, to caufe the Iron oare to melt, 

 which none other would doe fo well. Matthiolus contefteth againft Fuch- 

 fius, for deeming the Venice Turpentine to be the liquid RofTen of the Firre 

 tree, which he afTufeth vpon his owne experience and certaine knowledge, 

 to be drawne from this Larch tree, and none other ; which cleere Turpin- 

 tine is altogether vfed inwardly, and no other, except that of the true Tur- 

 pintine tree, and is very effecluall to cleanfe the reines, kidneyes, and blad- 

 der, both of grauell and the ftone, and to prouoke vrine : it is alfo of efpe- 

 ciall property for the gonorrhoea, or running of the reines, as it is called, with 

 fome powder of white Amber mixed therewith, taken for certaine dayes 

 together. Taken alfo in an Eleftuary, it is fingular good for to expectorate 

 rotten flegme, and to helpe the confumption of the lungs. It is vfed in plai- 

 fters and falues, as the beft fort of Turpintine. The Agaricke that is vfed in 

 phylicke, is taken from the bodies and armes of this tree. And Matthiolus 

 doth much infift againft Brafauolus, that thought other trees had produced 

 Agaricke, affirming them to be hard Fungi, or Mufhroms (fuch as wee call 

 Touch-wood) wherwith many vfe to take fire, ftrooke thereinto from fteele. 



1 6. T'ilia. The Line or Linden tree. 



THere are two forts of Line trees, the male and the female ; but becaufe the male 

 is rare to be feene, and the female is more familiar, I will onely giue you the 

 defcription of the female, and leaue the other. 



The female Line tree groweth exceeding high and great, like vnto an Elme, with 

 many large fpreading boughes, couered with a fmooth barke, the innermoft being 

 very plyant and bending from whence come fmaller branches, all of them fo plya- 

 ble, that they may bee led or carried into any forme you pleafe : the leaues thereon 

 are very faire, broad, and round, fomewhat like vnto Elme leaues, but fairer, fmoother, 

 and of a fremer greene colour, dented finely about the edges, and ending in a fharpe 

 point : the flowers are white, and of a good fmell, many ftanding together at the top 

 of a ftalke, which runneth all along the middle ribbe of a fmall long whitifh leafe ; af- 

 ter which come fmall round berries, wherein is contained fmall blackifh feede : this 

 tree is wholly neglecled by thofe that haue them, or dwell neere them, becaufe they 

 fuppofe it to be fruitlefle, in regard it beareth chaffie huskes, which in many places 

 fall away, without giuing ripe feede. 



The 



