A Difcourfe of Foreft-Trecs. cc? 



Vna. tantum liter a. immutata , Avellina dici^ qua prius 

 Abellina. 

 I might affirm the fame of our Damafco Plum, g^tiince^ Medlar^ 

 Figue, and moft ordinary Pears^ as well as of feveral other Peregrme 

 Trees, Fruit-bearers, and otherf. It was 680 years after the foun- 

 dation of Rome ere Italy had tafted a Cherry of their own, which 

 being then brought thither out of Fontus (as the above-mention'd 

 Filberts were) did afterwards travel ad nlttmos Britannos. 



3' Jofephus tells us, That the Cedar/// ]\xde3i was fir U planted 

 there by Solomon , who doubtlefs try'd many rare Experiments of 

 this nature -, and none more Kingly then that of Planting to Pojie- 

 rity. I do not fpeak of thofe which grow on the Mountains of 

 Libanus, in the colder and Northern tracts of Syria : But, as I am 

 informed by a curious Traveller, there remaining now not above 

 twenty four of thoie ftately Trees in all thofe goodly Forejis, where 

 that mighty Prince fet fourfiore thoufand Hewers at work for the 

 Materials of one only Temple and a Palace^txs a pregnant Example 

 what Tzwe and NegleU \^\\\ bring to ruine, if due and continual 

 care be not taken to propagate Timber. 



4. Nor is it any wonder if we find the whole Species of fome 

 Trees fo totally loft in a Countrey as if there had never been any 

 fuch planted in it : Be this therefore applied to Fir, Pine, and ma- 

 ny others with us,fince it was fo long ere Rome was acquainted with 

 them, or indeed with any of the Pitch bearers. 



5. We had our firft Myrtils out oi Greece, and Cyprefs from 

 Creete, which was yet a meer ftranger in Italy, as Pliny reports, 

 and moft difficult to be raifed ^ which made Cato to write more 

 concerning the culture of it then of any other Tree : Notwith- 

 ftanding we have in this Countrey of ours no lefs then three forts, 

 which are all of them eafily propagated, and profper very well if 

 they are rightly ordered 5 and therefore I ftiall not omit to dif- 

 clofe one fecret, as well to confute a popular Errour, as for the 

 Inftruftion of our Gardners. 



6. The Tradition is. That the Cyprefs (being a Symbol of Mor-^ 

 tality, they ftiould fay of the contrary^is never to be cut for fear of 

 killing it. This makes them to impale and wind them about like 

 fo many ^Egyptian Mummies 5 by which meaps the inward parts 

 of the Tree being heatedjfor want oiAir and Refrelhment,it never 

 arrives to any perfeftion , but is exceedingly troublefome, and 

 chargeable to maintain ^ whereas indeed there is not a more ton* 



Jile and governable Plant in nature .* For the Cyprefs may be cut to 

 the very Roots, and yet fpring afrefli : And this we find was the 

 husbandry in the Ijle of Mnaria, where they us'd to fell it for Copfi, : 

 For the Cyprefs being rais'd from the Nurfery of Seeds fown in Sep- 

 tember ("or rather March), and within two years after tranfplanted, 

 fhould at two years ikanding more, have the majier ftem of the 

 middle Ihaft cut off fome hand-breadth below the y»w«/;>, the 



fides and imaller fprigsftiorn into a conique or pyramidal iorm, and 

 fo kept clipp'd from Jpril to September, as oft as there is occafion ^ 

 and by tins Regiment they will grow furniffd to the foot, and be- 



K 2 come 



