98 A CONTEMPORARY FRENCH AGRICULTURIST 



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survival of the ancient belief in the generation of bees 

 from the flesh of oxen, is described. De Serres finds no 

 inherent improbability in the story, but calls for experi- 

 mental proof, which is just what a sensible man might 

 have been expected to do in the year 1600. 



The mulberry is not valued in the Thedtre solely 

 because it yields food for the silkworm ; its culture is 

 strongly advocated on account of its bast, which was 

 reputed to be highly serviceable for cordage and cloth. 

 The branches, collected at the time of lopping, were 

 soaked and peeled ; the bast was then bruised, dressed 

 and carded, like hemp or flax, and spun. 



De Serres practised the artificial incubation of eggs, 

 which had long been familiar to the Egyptians and the 

 Chinese. He furnishes curious information about recently 

 introduced animals and plants (guinea-pigs, turkeys, 

 maize, beet-root), the sugar-cane, which he thought 

 might be acclimatised, artificial meadow^s, greenhouses, 

 then a luxury of princes,^ wind and water-mills, and 

 cisterns made of other materials than stone. 



^ The Orangerie at Heidelberg was already famous. Henri IV had one at 

 the Tuileries, and Louis XIV (long after the date of the Theatre) added many 

 to the gardens of Versailles and the Jardin du Roi. 



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