blood is but a light and secret saltness: and even among plants, some do participate of saltness, as alga marina, samphire, scurvy grass, etc. And they report, there is in some of the Indian seas a swimming plant, which they call salgazus, spreading over the sea in such sort, as one would think it were a meadow. It is certain, that out of the ashes of all plants they extract a salt which they use in medicines.

646. It is reported by one of the ancients, that there is an herb growing in the water, called lincostis, which is full of prickles: this herb putteth forth another small herb out of the leaf; which is imputed to some moisture that is gathered between the prickles, which putrefied by the sun germinateth. But I remember also I have seen, for a great rarity, one rose grow out of another like honeysuckles, that they call top and top-gallants.

647. BARLEY, as appeareth in the malting, being steeped in water three days, and afterwards the water drained from it, and the barley turned upon a dry floor, will sprout half an inch long at least: and if it be let alone, and not turned, much more; until the heart be out. Wheat will do the same. Try it also with pease and beans. This experiment is not like that of the orpine and semper-vive; for there it is of the old store, for no water is added; but here it is nourished from the water. The experiment would be farther driven: for it appeareth already, by that which hath been said, that earth is not necessary to the first sprouting of plants; and we see that rosebuds set in water will blow: therefore try whether the sprouts of such grains may not be raised to a farther degree, as to an herb, or flower, with water only, or some small commixture of earth: for if they will, it should seem by the experiments before, both of the malt and of the roses, that they will come far faster on in water than in earth; for the nourishment is easilier drawn out of water than out of earth. It may give some light also, that drink infused with flesh, as that with the capon, etc. will nourish faster and easilier than meat and drink together. Try the

same experiment with roots as well as with grains : as for example, take a turnip, and steep it a while, and then dry it, and see whether it will sprout.

648. MALT in the drenching will swell; and that in such a manner, as after the putting forth in sprouts, and the drying upon the kiln, there will be gained at least a bushel in eight, and yet the sprouts are rubbed and there will be a bushel of dust besides the malt; which I suppose to be, not only by the loose and open lying of the parts, but by some addition of substance drawn from the water in which it was steeped.

off;

649. MALT gathereth a sweetness to the taste, which appeareth yet more in the wort. The dulcoration of things is worthy to be tried to the full: for that dulcoration importeth a degree to nourishment: and the making of things inalimental to become alimental, may be an experiment of great profit for making new victual.

650. Most seeds in the growing, leave their husk or rind about the root; but the onion will carry it up, that it will be like a cap upon the top of the young onion. The cause may be, for that the skin or husk is not easy to break; as we see by the pilling of onions, what a holding substance the skin is.

651. PLANTS, that have curled leaves, do all abound with moisture; which cometh so fast on, as they cannot spread themselves plain, but must needs gather together. The weakest kind of curling is roughness; as in clary and burr. The second is curling on the sides; as in lettuce, and young cabbage: and the third is folding into a head; as in cabbage full grown, and cabbage-lettuce.

652. It is reported, that fir and pine, especially if they be old and putrefied, though they shine not as some rotten woods do, yet in the sudden breaking they will sparkle like hard sugar.

653. THE roots of trees do some of them put downwards deep into the ground; as the oak, pine, fir, etc. Some spread more towards the surface of the earth; as the ash, cypress-tree, olive, etc. The cause of this

latter may be, for that such trees as love the sun, do not willingly descend far into the earth; and therefore they are, commonly, trees that shoot up much; for in their body their desire of approach to the sun maketh them spread the less. And the same reason under ground, to avoid recess from the sun, maketh them spread the more. And we see it cometh to pass in some trees which have been planted too deep in the ground, that for love of approach to the sun, they forsake their first root, and put out another more towards the top of the earth. And we see also, that the olive is full of oily juice; and ash maketh the best fire; and cypress is a hot tree. As for the oak, which is of the former sort, it loveth the earth; and therefore groweth slowly. And for the pine and fir likewise, they have so much heat in themselves, as they need less the heat of the sun. There be herbs also that have the same difference; as the herb they call morsus diaboli; which putteth the root down so low, as you cannot pull it up without breaking; which gave occasion to the name and fable; for that it was said, it was so wholesome a root, that the devil, when it was gathered, bit it for envy: and some of the ancients do report, that there was a goodly fir, which they desired to remove whole, that had a root under ground eight cubits deep; and so the root came up broken.

644. IT hath been observed, that a branch of a tree, being unbarked some space at the bottom, and so set into the ground, hath grown; even of such trees, as if the branch were set with the bark on, they would not grow; yet contrariwise we see, that a tree pared round in the body above ground, will die. The cause may be, for that the unbarked part draweth the nourishment best, but the bark continueth it only.

655. GRAPES will continue fresh and moist all winter long, if you hang them cluster by cluster in the roof of a warm room; especially if when you gather the cluster, you take off with the cluster some of the stock.

656. THE reed or cane is a watery plant, and

groweth not but in the water: it hath these properties; that it is hollow; that it is knuckled both stalk and root; that being dry, it is more hard and fragile than other wood; that it putteth forth no boughs, though many stalks come out of one root. It differeth much in greatness; the smallest being fit for thatching of houses, and stopping the chinks of ships, better than glue or pitch. The second bigness is used for angle-rods and staves; and in China for beating of offenders upon the thighs. The differing kinds of them are, the common reed, the cassia fistula, and the sugar-reed. Of all plants it boweth the easiest, and riseth again. It seemeth, that amongst plants which are nourished with mixture of earth and water, it draweth most nourishment from water; which maketh it the smoothest of all others in bark, and the hollowest in body.

657. THE sap of trees when they are let blood, is of differing natures. Some more watery and clear; as that of vines, of beeches, of pears: some thick, as apples: some gummy, as cherries: some frothy, as elms: some milky, as figs. In mulberries the sap seemeth to be almost towards the bark only; for if you cut the tree a little into the bark with a stone, it will come forth; if you pierce it deeper with a tool, it will be dry. The trees which have the moistest juices in their fruit, have commonly the moistest sap in their body; for the vines and pears are very moist; apples somewhat more spongy: the milk of the fig hath the quality of the rennet, to gather cheese; and so have certain sour herbs wherewith they make cheese in Lent.

658. THE timber and wood are in some trees more clean, in some more knotty; and it is a good trial to try it by speaking at one end, and laying the ear at the other for if it be knotty, the voice will not pass well. Some have the veins more varied and chambletted; as oak, whereof wainscot is made; maple, whereof trenchers are made: some more smooth, as fir and walnut: some do more easily breed worms and spiders; some more hardly, as it is said of Irish trees:

besides there be a number of differences that concern their use; as oak, cedar, and chesnut, are the best builders; some are best for plough-timber, as ash; some for piers, that are sometimes wet and sometimes dry, as elm; some for planchers, as deal; some for tables, cupboards, and desks, as walnuts; some for ship-timber, as oaks that grow in moist grounds; for that maketh the timber tough, and not apt to rift with ordnance; wherein English and Irish timber are thought to excel: some for masts of ships, as fir and pine, because of their length, straightness, and lightness some for pale, as oak; some for fuel, as ash; and so of the rest.

659. THE Coming of trees and plants in certain regions, and not in others, is sometimes casual: for many have been translated, and have prospered well; as damask-roses, that have not been known in England above a hundred years, and now are so common. But the liking of plants in certain soils more than in others, is merely natural; as the fir and pine love the mountains; the poplar, willow, sallow, and alder, love rivers and moist places; the ash loveth coppices, but is best in standards alone; juniper loveth chalk; and so do most fruit-trees; samphire groweth but upon rocks; reeds and osiers grow where they are washed with water; the vine loveth sides of hills, turning upon the south-east sun, etc.

660. THE putting forth of certain herbs discovereth of what nature the ground where they put forth is; as wild thyme sheweth good feeding-ground for cattle; betony and strawberries shew grounds fit for wood; camomile sheweth mellow grounds fit for wheat. Mustard-seed, growing after the plough, sheweth a good strong ground also for wheat: burnet sheweth good meadow, and the like.

661. THERE are found in divers countries,some other plants that grow out of trees and plants, besides misseltoe as in Syria there is an herb called cassytas, that groweth out of tall trees, and windeth itself about the same tree where it groweth, and sometimes about thorns. There is a kind of polypode that grow