Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. 



477 



Chap. Xxxi. 

 ^ of the Boughs ^Barke^md Roots of trees i 



T Here arc trccsj that immediatly from the root thrCift out boughs and branches, as doe 

 the Apple-trees. Some be covered with a thin rind, as the Lawrell and Line- tree : others 

 with a thicke barke^as the Okes. In fome a man fhall find the barke even and fmooth^as in 

 the Apple-tree and Fig-tree : the fame in others isiough-Wrid f uggcdj'-afs is to bee feerie in Okes 

 and Date-trees. And ordinarily, all old trees have mofe riveltdbarkes^nd furrow/^ ;th an the 

 younger . In many trees, the Barke naturally dooth bre^ke and cleave of the owive accord, and 

 B iiamelyinthcVinc.Fromromeitfhalethandfallethoff-ai^fromthe Apple-tteeand 



The Corke and the Poplar have a flefliie and pulpous barke : the rind of the Vine and the recd^ 

 is made in mannerof a membrane or thin skin. In Chery-trees it is asflender as Paper ,and run- 

 neth into rolls: but Vines^LindenSjand Firs, are clad with tuniclgsarid eoat&of many folds. In 

 fome again therindis butfinglcjas in the Fig-trcejand the eane or rced.Aiid thus miich ofBarkc. 



There is as great difference in the root.; Forthe Fig-trce^the (Sik<;,and the Pteihavc great 

 ftore of roots and large fpurns: contrariwifejin the Apple- tree they aire (hort anti §nallThe Fit 

 and Larch have one tap root and no more : for upon that one maine maifter-roof th^y reft and 

 are founded 5 howbeitjmany fmallftrings and petie fpurns flioot out of the fides ji) the Bay-tree 

 the roots be more groife and unequally embofTedj^ likewife in the Olive, which alfo fpreadeth 

 C out into many branches.But thofe of the Oke bee of a carnous fubftance : and verily ^all the kind 

 of Okes doe root decpe into the ground. Certes, if wee give creditc to r/r^/i^that fort of them 

 which arc called Efcuiijgoedown as deepe into the earth with their rbots, as they 3rife-& mount 

 above ground with their heads. The roots of the Apple-tree, 01ive,and CypreflCjlie^very ebbe^ 

 and creepe hard under the fourd of the ground. Moreover, there bee roots that runhcdired and 

 ftreight,as thofe of the Bay and Olive : there be againe that wind and turne as they 'goe,as thofe 

 of the Fig-tree. Some are all overgrowne and full of haitic (l:rings,as the Firre root, and ?rtany 

 others ot wild trees that grow in forreib : from wttich^the mountainers ufe to plucke thofe fine 

 fibres and fmail thrcds, wherwith theytwift goodly fai^epaniersjcovers for flaggonsand bottels^ 

 and worke many other veflfels and pretie devifes. Sbme^writers hold opinion and have put down * namcly.r^fo- 

 D in their bookes,that no roots goe lower into the eahhjthan that the Sunnes heat may pierce un- f /^j^M 

 to them and give them a kind warmth 5 the which is more or lefTe, fay they, according to the na-i 

 ture of the foilejas it is either lighter and leane3oynafrier,richer,and fafter compa^d. But I take 

 this to be a meere untruth.This is certainc that wee find in auncieni wrfters,that a young Firre^ 

 when it was to be tranfplanted and fet againe^had a root that went eight cubits wirhin the earth 5 

 and yet it was not digged up all whole, butbroken in the taking up, and left fomewhat behind* 

 Therootsof Citron trees are biggefl of all other, and ipread mof^. Next to them are thofe of 

 the Pianes,Okes,and other Maft- trees.Some trees there be,the roots whereof like better and live 

 longetj themoreebbe that they lie within the upperfaceof the ground, and namely,Lawrcls; 

 and therefore they fpring frefh againe, and put forth better, when the old ilocke is withered and 

 E cut away .Others hold,that trees which have fliort flumped roots^doefooner decay, & live lefls 

 while.But deceived they are, and may bee reproved by the inffance of Fig-trees,wh!ch live leaft 

 while, and yet their roots are longeft of any other, I fi.ippofe this alfo to bee as falfe, which fome 

 have held and delivered in writing,That the roots doe diminifh and decayjias the trees doe^wax 

 old : for the eontraric hath been leene by an aged Oke, which by the violent force of a tempefl' 

 vvas overthrowne,thc root whereof tobke up a good acre of ground iricompafle. . 



Morcovcr,a common thing it is and ordinarie,to replant and recover manytree^s that ha>ve 

 been biowne downe and laid along:for they will rejoine,knit againe,and revive,by meane&of the 

 earth, even as a wound doth unite by the folder of a callous cicatrice. And thisisamoflufuali 

 and familiar pradileobferved in the Planes, which by reafon of their great heads fo thicke of 

 F boughs, gather winds moi^, and are fooneft fubject to their rage : if any one of them by thiat 

 meanes bee fallen jthey lop their boughs,and difchargethem oftheirweightieloadjand then fet 

 them upright againe in their owne place, as it were in a focket, and they will take root and prof^ 

 per. And in good faith,this hath been done heretofore alreadie in Walnut t£ees,OIives,and ma- 

 ny other^to the like proofe. 



Chap. 



