Qentury V. 



91 



Befides the two Meanes of Accelerating Germination, formerly defcribed g 

 That is to fay, the Mending of the Nourijhment 3 Comforting of the Spirit or 

 the Plant there is a Third 3 Which is the Making Way for the £4//* C^- 

 ing to the Nourijhment , and Drawing it. And therefore Digging and 



Loojening of the £^f/> about the of 71 • And the Removing Herbs 

 and Flowers into new Earth, once in two yeares, ( which is the fame thing 

 For the new Earth is ever loofer, ( doth greatly further the Profpering^ and 

 Earlineftdi Plants. 



But the moft admirable Acceleration by Facilitating the Nourijhment, is 

 that oiWater. For a Standard of a Damask Rofe with the Root on, was fet in 

 a Chamber, where no Fire was, upright in an Earthen Pan^ Ml of Fair 

 Water, without any Mixture, half afoot under the Water, the Standard being 

 more than two Foot high above the Water : Within in the Space of ten 

 dayes, the Standard did put forth a fair Green leaf, and fome other little 

 Buds, which flood at aitay, without any Shew of decay or withering, more 

 then feven Dayes. But afterwards that Leaf faded, but the young Buds did 

 fprouton-, which afterward opened into fair Leaves, inthefpace of three 

 Moneths And continued fo a while after, till upon Removall we left the 

 Triall. But note that the Leaves were fomewhat paler, and lighter-coloured, 

 then the Leaves ufe to be abroad. Note that the firft Buds were in the End 

 of October And it is likely that if it had been in the Spring time, it would 

 have put forth with greater ftrength, and ( it may be ) to have grown on to 

 bear Flowers. By this Meanes, you may have, ( as it feemeth, ) Rofes fet in 

 the midft of a Pool, being fuppor ted with fome ftay Which is Matter 

 of RarenefsandPleafure-, though of fmall Ufe. This is the more ftrange 

 for that the like Rofe-Standard was put, at the fame time, into Water mixed 

 with 11 or fe- dung? the Horfe-dung about the fourth Part to the Water, andin 

 four Moneths ipace ( while it was obferved ) put not forth any Leaf 

 though divers Buds at the firft, as the other. 



A Dutch Floweret had a Bulbous Root, was likewife put, at the fame time, 

 all under Water, fome two or three Fingers deep • And within feven dayes 

 fprouted, and continued long after, further Growing. There were alfo put 

 in, a Beet-Root^ a Borr age-Root, and a Raddijh-Root, which had all their Leaves 

 cutalmoft clofe to the Roots 5 And within fix weeks had fair Leaves j 

 And fo continued, till the end of November. 



Note that if Roots, or Peafe, or Flowers may be Accelerated in their Com- 

 in<? and Ripening, there is a double Profit 5 The one in the high Price that 

 thofe Things beare when they come early: The other in the Swiftncfs' of 

 their Rettimcs : For in fome Grounds which are ftrong, you mall have a 

 Raddifi, &c. come in a Moneth That inother Grounds will not come in 

 two t, And fo make double Retumes. 



Wheat alfo was put into the Water, and came not forth at all-, So as it 

 feemeth there muft be fome Strength and Bulk in the Body, put into the 

 Water ^ as it is in Roots For Graines, or Seeds, the Cold of the Water will 

 mortifie. But cafually fome Wheat lay under the Pan, which was fome- 

 what moiitened by the Suing of the Pan w 7 hich in fix weeks ( as afore- 

 faid ) looked mouldy to the Eye, but it was fprouted forth half a Fin* 

 gers length. 



It feemeth by thefe Inftances of Water ^ that for Nourifhment, the Water 

 is almoft all in all, and that the Earth doth but keep the Plant upright, and 

 fave it from Over-heat, and Over-cold^ And therefore is'a Comfortable Ex- 

 periment for good Drinkers. It proveth alfo that our former Opinion : That 



Drink" 



