20 CULTIVATED VEGETABLES. 



tasted root ; and the other the Strasburg 

 onion, which is more biting, and lasts good 

 much longer than the former." 



Lord Bacon states, in the fifth Century of 

 his Natural History, " It is declared that 

 onions wax greater, if they be taken out of 

 the earth, and laid a-drying twenty days, and 

 then set again ; and yet more, if the outer- 

 most pill (peel) be taken off all over." This 

 learned naturalist, although he did not, like 

 Culpepper, attribute the virtue of the plants 

 to the stars, yet was of opinion, that their 

 growth was influenced by the state of the 

 moon. " Take," he says, " some seeds or 

 roots of onions, and set some of them imme- 

 diately after the change, and others of the 

 same kind immediately after the full : let 

 them be as like as can be, the earth also the 

 same as near as may be, &c, and then see 

 how they differ." He adds, " For the increase 

 of moisture, the opinion received is, that 

 seeds will grow soonest, and hedges, and 

 herbs, cut, &c. will also grow soonest, if they 

 be set or cut in the increase of the moon.* 



The many domestic purposes to which 

 this strong-scented vegetable is applied at 



:V: 



Century 9. 



