Of the ProduBion of new Plants. tot

and plcasanter ; a most cvidcot reason whereof is assigned by fheophrastust So

Lett ice will he the sweeter

at tbe second springing. Theophrasttufakb) that the sweetest Lettice springs up afterthe cropping of the first tops ; for the first tops of their first springing, are full of amilky kind of juice, which is not so pleasant, because that it is not throughly con-cocted; but they which grow at the second springing, if you take them when theyare young and tender, will be far sweeter. He strews also, how

Leeks may he made sweeter j

by cropping them once or twice, and afterward let them grow: the cause whereofhe hath assigned in his book of causes, namely, that their first shooting up is theweakest and the most imperfect. Lhe like is to be thought and practised in other Pot-herbs : for the cropping or cutting off,doth make the second sprouts to be the swee-ter, almost in all herbs. There are also divers other sleights in husbanding and dres-sing of such Pot-herbs, whereby they may be made sweeter to be eaten. As forexample,

Carlickjaay be made sweet er ,

for£<*/'<>» is perswaded, that, is you break the Cloves of Garlick before you secthem, or else supple them with the Lees of oyle, when you do set them, theywill gather and yield a far sweeter relish. By another sleight far differingfrom this,

Onions maj be made sweeter ;

for we must consider,that divers things do exercise a mutual discord or agreement &concord of natures toward each other-.whereby they either help one another,if theirnatures agree; or, if their natures dissent, they hurt and destroy one another. Nutsand Onions have a sympathy or agreement of nature; and therefore if you lay upNuts amongst Onions, the Onions will cause the Nuts to last the longer: in liew ofwhich kindness, Nuts do gratifie Onions with another good turn, for they cafe theOnions of their sturpnesse, as Palladius hath observed.

Chap. IKVIII.

How fruits that are in their growings may he made to receive and resemble aH figures andtmprejjious whatsoever .

M Any things do fall out by chance, and hap-hazard, as they fay, which an in-genious man lighting upon, doth by his great industry, and often experimentsthat he makes of them, turn and apply to very good use. Whence it is that thePoet faith, manifold experience, and much labour and practice, sets a broach to theworld many new arts and rare devices. And because the most part are not acquaintedwith the cause of such things, thence it is, that they are esteemed to be miraculous,and to come to passe besides Natures rule. We have oftentimes seen in Citrons, di-vers kinds of stamps and impressions, which were made there by chance; as by thehitting of some carved matter, or any stick, or such like, which hath caused the sameimpressions: whence, the wit of man hath devised to cause divers kinds of fruits, togrow up with divers kinds of figures on them. If you take an earthen vessel,and put -into it an apple that is very young,as it hangs upon the Tree growing,the Apple willgrow to fill up his earthen case, and will be of any form whatsoever you would de-sire, if you make the case accordingly. Also if you pown any colours and bray .them together, and dispose of them in place* convenient on the fruit, on the insideof the case, the fruits will wear and expreffe the Came colours,as if they were natu-ral unto them, . Whence it Cometh to passe, that oftentimes the yellow Qi&Ke **made to grow like a awns head, having in it tbe lively resemblance of white teeth,purple cheeks, black eyes, and in all points expressing the form and colour of *

man*