310 MifcelUne^ Curiofa^ Vol.111. 



been a very^ Wet and Cold Seafon, and very 

 hot Weather fudda.;nly enfues, the Leaves 

 turn Brown, and dry to duft : the caufe I 

 conceive to be hence: The Plant being fee- 

 ble, and having a fmall quantity of Oyl, 

 which makes the more folid part of the 

 Plant,the Eaith being fuddainly heated by the 

 Sun's fiercer Beams, the Roots are rather 

 fcorchM and dried up in the Earth, than 

 nourifli'd ^ fo that the Plant confifting only 

 of watry parts, is confumed, as it were, by 

 Fire : fometimes hopeful Plants, when by a 

 fudden Guft fome Matter Veins are broken, 

 if fuddain heat enfues, they likewife Fire: 

 For being not come to maturity, and being 

 deprived of the Supports of Life and Vege- 

 tation, they likewife perifli, are dried up^ 

 and fall to duft. French-men xh^y call thole 

 Plants, whole leaves do not fpread and grow 

 large, but rather fpire upwards, and grow 

 tall i thefe Plants they do not tend, being 

 not worthy their Labour- Where they fo 

 Critical, I believe, they might have great 

 Guefs what Plants were moll likely to turn 

 French-men^ by obferving whether the Roots 

 of the Plants run downwards, as thofe whofe 

 Branches are apteft to fpire upwards: For 

 tho' I have not made pofitive proof thereofj^ 

 I have fomething more than bare fancy for 

 my conjecture I 1 have pulFd up fome of 

 thefe French-men^ and compared them with 

 the Roots of fome other Plants, and found 

 them much longer than others; and 'tis^ 

 obferveabie, loofe Soils, and landy Ground, 

 are more fubjeft thereto than the ftiff Land, 

 The Country of it feif is oiie entire Wood, 



coiififting 



