OF FOREST-TREES. 



147 



Sycamore, (March 1664,) whereof three sides were cut, and one not ; the CHAP. VI r. 



success was, that the whole bark did unite, being bound with pack-thread, 

 leaving only a scar : but being separated entirely from the tree, namely 

 several parts of the bark, and at various depths, leaving on some part of 

 the bark, others cut to the very wood itself, being tied on as the former, 

 a new rind succeeded in their place ; but what was covered over beyond 



of Parnassus has five short stamina ; one of which, as soon as the filament is sufficiently 

 lengthened, touches the stigma with its antherse, and having discharged its fertilizing dust, 

 immediately rises, and whereas it was bent inward before, it now bends backward, and 

 the filament grows afterwards almost as high as the corolla ; then the second stamen comes 

 forward in the same way and manner ; then the third, fourth, and fifth, till they have 

 all discharged their office. The Lychnis Flos Cuculi, or Meadow Pinks, and the Gypsophila 

 Fasligiala, a kind of Soapwort, have procumbent stems ; but when the time of flowering 

 approaches, these are raised upright, that the dust of the anthera;, being exposed to the 

 wind, may be more readily blown upon the stigmata. This is also the reason why the 

 greatest part of flowers are elevated on flowering stems above the ground, that the wind 

 may more easily shake them. For the Narcissus, Snow-drop, Violet, Cross-wort, and some 

 others, have their stems erect, but after the time of flowering, their stems recline to the 



Almost all the spiked plants begin their flowei-ing below, or in the lower part of the 

 stem, that in case the dust of the first should not prove sufficient, that of the latter may 

 make up the loss. Of this sort are also the corymbiferous and umbelliferous plants, not 

 to say the compound flowers, where the florets constituting the radius, open first ; then 

 follow the interior florets, and the disk is elevated or raised, that the exterior florets 

 may also receive some of their dust, if they were not suflnciently impregnated before.—- 

 This is so certain and constant a rule, that when Linnaeus found the Hieraciim Prcsmorsim, 

 the greater Broad-leaved Hawk-weed, or greater Upright Mouse-ear, observe a different 

 order, i. e. the uppermost flowers come out first, he thought it a singular instance in Nature. 

 The Pellitory clearly shews us the process of generation ; if we observe it in a morning 

 at a proper hour, we shall see how its antherse burst with great elasticity^ and emit their 

 dust all round ; and, of consequence, also upon the pistillum. The same experiment 

 succeeds, if we touch the antherae with the point of a needle, as Vaillant has observed. — 

 The Melons, Pompions, Cucumbers, Gourds, &c. have two sorts of flowers ; the one 

 male, which are called barren ; the other female, which bear the pistilla and fruit. The 

 gardeners advise, that the barren flowers should be carefully plucked off", by reason they 

 think these deprive the plant too much of its nourishment : but without doubt they are 

 mistaken ; for they had better take the entire male flowers, and sprinkle the females with 

 their dust at noon, or roll the male flowers on the female, by which means the male dust 

 will readily reach the stigmata, and the females, thus impregnated, will ripen their fruit : 

 for the reason why the fruit drops off", is for want of being impregnated, and not for want 

 of nourishment, as is the vulgar opinion. Hence it is, that if gardeners do not give air to 



ground. 



