The rixteentli Booke of 



asthfcyOiobtandgrow.ThcDatctrGCjthcFigtrcc^thc Almn^ the Apple tree, and the G 

 Pyrnc^doc fooncft of all other lec their fcuit fall before it be fully ripe. Semblably ^the Pomegra- 

 nate tree, which is fo tender bcfidcs^that with every thicke and heavie de w^whitc froa,and foLic 

 rime, (he will be bitten and fhed the bloflbm : which is the caufc that folk ufe to bend the boughs 

 ihcrcof downward to the ground^that both dew and rime may fooner fall off which Iiplit€th up- 

 on thcmjand otherwilc would over-load and hurtthem. ThePyrric and the Almond tree can- 

 j^ot abide clofc and clotdic weather, efpccially if the wind bc Southerly^although no raine doe 

 fall: for in fuch daies, ifthcychauncc to bloflbme, they not only (hcd their flower, bur loofc 

 theirfruitncwknit..But the Sallow or Wichie tree, is of all other moftticklitlij&rooncft doth 

 forgoc the feed or chats that it bearcth before it commeth to any ripenelfe,- for which caufe cal- 

 led it is of /^m^r* Loofe-fruit,orSpiU-fruit.Howbcit the age cnfuing fnaughtasitwas) hath H 

 interpreted that Epithet ofhis,in another fenfe^ according tacihe wicked experience they had 

 of it, whereby it was found, that the feed thereof caufcth harrainncfle in women, and hindreth 

 conception. But in this regardjNature alfo hath done well to prevent this mifchiefe and incon- 

 venience, in that (bee hath not been very careful! to preferve the feed.: and yet for the maintc* 

 nance of the whole kind, (Lee hath endued it vvith this gift, To grow very quickly, if a man doc 

 pricke into the ground but a cutting or twig thereof/ And yet (by rcpon) there is one Willow 

 in Candic, and namely about the very dcfcent of lupitm cave, which is wont ordinarily to ca- 

 rie the graine or feed thereof untill it be full ripe, and then is it of a rough and wriihen fhapc, of 

 a wooden and hard fubftance, and withall, of the bignefle of a cich peafe. ^ 



Moreover, fome trees there be thatproove barraine and fruitlefle by occafion of the imper- 1 

 fedion of thefoile and territorie where th ey grow : and namely in the lilc ParbSjthere is a whole 

 wood opcoppifc that ufually is lopt and cut, but it never beareth any fruit. The Peach trees in 

 the IflandRhodosblofTome only, and otherwife are fruitlcffc. Over and befidcs,this difference 

 of trees(that fome be fruitfull and others barrain)arifeth of the fcx alfo j for commonly the males 

 bearc not : howfocver fome affirmc clcanc contrarie, and fay, They are the male oncly which be 

 fruitfull,and the female barraine. Furthermorejitfalleth out many times that trees be fruitlefle 

 cither bccaufethey grow too thicke one by another, or els are overcharged and too ranke with 

 boughs and braunches : but of fuchas riQebearc,fome bring forth their fruit both at the fides 

 and alfo at the very tips anderidsof dieicbraunchesjas the Peare tree, Pomegranat trecjFic'gc 

 tree, and Myrtle. As for others, they are of the nature of corne and pulfe ; for the one groweth K 

 in the eare or fpike alonCjthc other by the fides,and not otherwife. The Date tree onely (as hath 

 been laid before) conteincth fruit within certain pellicles, and the fame hangeth downcinclu- 

 ilcrs after the manner of grapes. Other trees bearc their fruit under the leafe for their fafeguard 

 and defence, except the Fig tree, which hath her Figs above the Icafc, becaufeitis fo large and 

 overfhadowie. Moreover, the leafe of the Figgeiree commeth forth after theFigge. One no- 

 table thing is reported of a kind of Figge trees, in Cilicia, Cyprus, and Hellas, to wit, that they 

 have this propertie lingular by themfelves. To bring foorth their perfc(5> Figs under leafe, and 

 their greenc abortive Figs that come to no proofe,af tcr the leafe. The Figge tree bearcth more- 

 over certainehaftie Figs, which the Athenians call Prodromos, /.vant-courriers orforerun- 

 ners5bccaufe they be long ripe before others. The Laconian Figge uees bring the faireft and I* 

 grcaicftFigs. c : : « 



Chap. XXVlt, 



?gi <?/ trees thdt hare twice and thrice in snejeere, Alfo whdt trees fomji 

 K mx eld: 4nd of their ages. 



IN the fame countries above-named, there be Figge trees alfo that bearc Figges twice in one 

 ycarc. And in the IflandCca, the wild Figge trees bearc thrice in the fame ycarc: for the fc- 

 cond cncreafe is put foorth upon thcfirft, and the third upon the fccond :andby this third 

 fiuit, the Figges of the tame Figge tree receive their maturitic by way of caprification : and M 

 thofc wild grccne Figgs of theirs come foorth above the leafe . Moreover, there be fome Py r- 

 ricsand Apple trees that bring forth fruit twice in a yecre : as alfo there bee others of the haflic 

 kind^ which beareboth Pcarcsand Apples betimes in the ycare. There is a kind of Crab tree. 

 ^O-Or Wildings that in like manner bearcth twice a ycercs and the latter fiuit isripeprcfently 



---- - ^ ~ . - ^^^^ 



