PlinicsNatumll Hiftorie. 



■ A new roots: and laftof all, thefepepinsorkernils^oughctoftandafootandabalfe afiinderjfor 

 in c^k they meet together and touch one anotherjbefides other faults & inconveniences^ they 

 [ will befubjed to wormcs : and therefore,! fay, there would be fome diftance betweene, that the 

 [ ground about them may be often harrowed and raked^to kill the vermine^and the weeds plucked 

 I up by the heels that doth b.reed themMoreoverjit would not be forgotten jto proine thele yong 

 plants when they arc but new come up : to cut away ,1 fay^the fuperfluous fprigs underneathjanci 

 life them betimes to the hookc. Cato giveth counlcll to fticke forkes about their beds a mans 

 height, and lay hurdles over thcm/oas the Sunnemay beletin underneath :and thofe hurdles 

 to cover and thatch over with draw or haulme^for to keep out the cold in winter .Thus arcyong 

 plants of Pcare trees and Apple trcs nourifhed : thus Pine nut trees^thus CyprclTes which likc- 

 B wifccomcupof feedjarecheriflied. 



Asfor thegraincsorfeedsof the Cyprefle tree, they bee exceeding finall, and fo fmall in- 

 dced5thaifomc of them can fcarce bee difcerned well by the eic : wherein the admirable worke 

 of Nature would bee confidcred, to wit, that of fo little feeds there fhould grow fo great and 

 * mightietrcesjconfidcring how far bigger are thecorncs of Wheat and Barley (to make no rec- 

 koning nor (peech of Bcanes) in comparifon of them. What (hould wee fay to Peare trees and 

 Apple trees? what proportion or likenelTe is there betweene them, and theprettie little pepins 

 whereof they take their beginning ? Marvell we not^thatof fo flender and finall things at the nrft, 

 they fhould growfo hard, as to checkeandturne againe the very edge of axe and hatchet ? that 

 frames and ftockesofpreffes fhould bee made thereof, fo tough and ftrong, as will notfhrinkc 

 Q under the heavieft poife and weights that be ? thatMaft-poles commingthcrcof fhould beable 

 to beare faile in wind and weather ? and finally ^that they fhould atfourd thofe huge and mightie 

 ' ramsjand fuch like engines of batterie,fufficient to commaund towers and baftils, yeajand beat 

 downe ftrong walls of ftone before them ? Loc, what the force of Nature is ! fee bow powerful! 

 ftie is in hei workes I But it paffeth and cxccedech all the reft, that the very gum and liauour di- 

 ftilling out of a tree^fhould bring forth new plants of the fame kind : as we will more at large de- 

 clare in time and place convenient.To returne then againe to the female CyprefTe (for the male 

 as hath been faidalreadic,bringeth forth no fruit) after that the little.bals orpils (which bee the 

 fruit thereoObegatheredjthey areiaidin the Sunne to dric,during thofe monthsjwhich wehavc 

 before fliewsdiand being thus dried,they will breake and cleave in funder. Now, when they are 

 D thus opened, they yeeld forth afeed,which Pifmircsarc very grcedie of. Where another wonder 

 of Nature offereth itfeife unto us,That fo finall a creature as it,fhould eat and confume the feed 

 that giveth life and bcing'to fo great and tall trees,as the Cyprefte. Well, when the faid feed is 

 gottenjand the plot of ground laid even and fmoothjwith cylinders or rollers, it inuft be Ibwne 

 oi agoodthicknefleinthemonethof Aprilhand frefli mould fiftedandftrcwcd over with rid- 

 dlcs,an inch ihicke and no more : for if this graine be buried over deepe and furchargedjit is not 

 able to breake through againft the weight oi the earthjbut in fteed of rifing upjthe new chit tur- 

 • neth and bcndeth backward under the ground. And hereupon it is5thatfoikeibrbeare either to 

 goe at all upon it, or elfc they tread very lightly. Being thus (bwedjit muft be gently watered foi: 

 three daies following, after the Sunnesfettingj(that the earth may drinkc equally in all places) 

 E untill the fprouts appeare above ground.Now,after they have had a ycares growth,they be tran- 

 flated,and replanted againe in rewes : for by that time they are come to a fpan or nine inches in 

 height : but great care muft bee had,that the time bee temperate, that is to fay,that the weathcE 

 be firefh and fairejand without any wind.Certcs,a wonderfull thing it is to be (poken,That all the 

 daungerorfecuritie of thisircejftandeth upon the choife of that onelydayjwherein it is replan- 

 ted : for let there fall never fo fmall a raine or deaw, nay, let the wind blow never fo little, it is a 

 great hazard that it will die. For ever after it is warifhed and fafe ynougb, howbeit, they cannoE 

 abide a glut of raine,at anytime following.Moreoverjas touching Injubes,they are likewife fet of 

 their graines,in the moneth of Aprill. But that kind of Peaches or Abricots which beecalled 

 Tuberes, love better to bee graffed either upon a skeg or wild Plum-ft&cke, or Quince, or elfe 

 F upon the wild Hart-Rhamme, called Calabricum, [or Spina Cervina,] To knit up this dif- 

 courle, the fruit Sebeften and the Servifes may be graffed andplantcd both upon the fame kind 

 of ftockc: and lookcwhatwillbearethcone, is apt to receive the other* 



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Chap, 



