Qentury V. 



91 



Men have entertained a Conceit that flieweth prettily •, Namely, that if 

 you graft a Late-Coming- Fruit, upon a Stock of a Fruit-Tree that Cometh 

 earl], the Graft will bear Fruit Early 5 As a Peach upon a Cherry, And con- 

 tranwife, it an Early-Coming- Fruit upon a Stock of a Fruit-Tree that Com- 

 eth late, the Graft will bear Fruit late 5 As a Cherry upon a Peach. But 

 thefe are but Imaginations, and untrue. The Caufe is, for that the Cions 

 over-ruleth the Stock quite ; And the Stock is but Paffive only, and giveth 

 Aliment, but no Motion to the Graft. 



We will fpeak now 5 how to make Fruits , Flowers , and 

 Roots larger, in more plenty and fweecer than they ufe to be. 

 And how to make the Trees themfelves , more Tall 5 more 

 Spread , and more Hafty and Sudden , than they ufe to be. 

 Wherein there is no doubr, but the former Experiments of^c- 

 cekration , will ferve much to thefe Purpofes. And again that 

 thefe Experiments^ which we (hall now fet down, do ferve alio 

 for Acceleration j becaufe both £ ffe&s proceed from the En- 

 creafe of vigour in the Tree 5 But yet to avoid Confufion. 

 And becaufe fome of the Meanes are more proper for the 

 one EfTe£t ; and fome for the other, we will handle them aparf 



It is an allured Experience, that an Heap of Flint or Stone, laid, about the 

 Bottom of a Wild-Tree, ( as in Oak, Elm, Am, &c. ) upon the firft Planting, 

 doth make it profper double as much as without it. The Caufe is, for 

 that it retaineth the Moiflure, which ralleth at any time upon the T ree, and 

 iufferethit not to be exhaled by the Sunne. Again, itkeepeth the Tree 

 warm, from Cold Blafts 2nd Frofts, as it were in an Houfe. It may be alfo, 

 there is fomewhat in the Keeping of it Heady at the firft. guare, if Laying or 

 Straw fome Height about the Body of a T ree , will not make the T ree for- 

 wards. For though the Root giveth the Sap, yet it is the Body that draweth 

 it. But you muft note, that if you lay Stones about the ftalk of Lettuce, or 

 other Plants, that are more fort, it will over-Moiiten the Roots, foasthe 

 Worms will eat them. 



A T ree, at the firft Setting, mould not be Shaken, until it hath taken Root 

 fully : And therefore fome have put two little Forks about the Bottom of 

 their Trees, to keep them upright •, But after a years Rooting, then Shaking 

 doth the Tree good, by Loofening of the Earth, and ( perhaps ) by Exerci- 

 fing ( as it were ) and Stirring the Sap of the T ree. 



Generally, the Cutting away of Boughs and Suckers at the Root and Bod 

 doth make T rees grow high And contrariwife, the Fowling and Cutting of 

 the Top, maketh them grow fpread and bulhy. As we fee in Pollards, &c. 



It is reported, that to make hajly Growing Coppice-Wood,the way is,to take 

 Willow \S allow, Poplar, Alder •, of fome feven years growth And to fet them 5 

 not upright, but a- Hope, a reafonable depth under the Ground And then, 

 in ftead of one Root, they will put forth many, and fo carry more Shoots 

 upon a Stem. 



When you would have many new Roots of Fruit-T rees, take a Low Tree, 

 and bow it, and lay all his branches a- flat upon the Ground, and caft Earth 

 upon them 5 And every Twig will take Root. And this is very profita- 

 ble 



421 



Experiments 

 in Conforr, 

 touching the 

 Melioration of 

 Fruit, Trees 

 and Plants. 



422 



423 



424 

 425 



426 



