Section 24

Sweet Melons^
as PaUadim (hews • even by fteeping the feeds thereof in milk and fweet wine for three dayes together: for then if you dry them, and fet them being fo dryed, there will grow up a very fweet fruit. Likewife you may procure
Sweet Lett ice;
for if you water them in the evening with new fweet wine, and let them drink for three evenings together as much of that liquor as they will foak up, it will caufe fweet Lettice, as Arifioxenut the Cyrenian hath taught out of Athentus, So
A fweet %adifo may be procured t
by fteeping the Radifh-feeds for a day and anight in honey, or in fodden wine, as both Palladiutznd Florentines have recorded. So you may procure the fame, by fteeping the feeds in new fweet wine, or elfe in the juice of Raifons. There is alfo another device, whereby to make flharp or bitter fruits to become fweet; and this is by art and cunning in dreflfing them ; as,by pouring hot water, or the Lees of oile, or cafting foil and fuch like about their roots. As for example : when we would make
A bitter Almond to become fwee%,p
we caft fome ftiarp piercing matter upon the root, that by vertue of their heat, the Tree may the more eafily conco& her moifture, and fo yield a fweeter fruit, fheo- phrafttu faith, that if we apply hot and ftrong foil, as Swines-dung, or fuch like, to the root of the bitter Almond-tree, it will become fweet: but it will be three years before the Tree be fo changed, and for all that time you muft uferthe fame husbanding of it. lAfricanui faith ; If you uncover the roots, and apply them ftill with Urine, or with Swines dung, then will the fruit be the fweeter. The Quintils report of Ariftotle, that, by covering the Almond-tree root with Swines-dung, in March, of a bitter one it becometh fweet. And Paltkdim ufeth the very fame pra- cWe. By the fame device
i Sbar
ICO
Natural Magic k. 2>g
Sharp and fowre Pomgranate-trees may be made to bring forth afreet Trmegranate : for thde all'- may bs changed from fharp and fowre itto fweet. jtrifioth (hews in hiibockof plants, that_Pomegranate-crees, it their roots be applyed with Swins- dnng, and watered with focm cool fweet liquor, the fruit will be the better and thelwecter. Theophrafimim^ that the roots of a Pomegranate-tree muft be ap- plyed witfi Urine, or with the offals and refufe of hides, yet not in too great a quantity: for the roots of this kind of Tree have need of fome fharp matter to knaw upon them, and raoft of all, every third year, as we faid before of the Al- mond-tree ; but indeed the Pomegranate«roots are more durable. The reafon is, becaule of a kind of foftnefle in the roots, which is peculiar unto them alone. Now Swines-dung, faith he, or fomewhat that is of the like operation, being caft upon the roots, doth fweeten the juice of the Tree: asalfo if you pour on good ftore of cold water, it will work fome kind of change thereof. 'Paxanns prefcribes this courfe,to dig round about the root of the Tree, and to lay Swins-oung upon it, and then when you have caft earth upon that, water it with mans Uiine. Columella faith ; If you have a Pomegranate-tree that bears a fharp and a lofvre fruit, this is your way to amend it : Ycu mult cover the roots with Swins-dung and mans ordure, and water them with mans Urine that hath flood long in fome veffel j and fo it will yield you for the fir(t years a fruit that taftes fomewhat like wine, and afterward a fweet and pleafant Pomegranate. Pliny reporteth the very fame thing out of the very fame Authors. AnatoUm (hews
How to make an Apple-tree become [wetter ; and that is, by watering it continually with Urine, which is a thing very comfor- table to an Apple-tree.'Some do ufe Goats-dung and the Lees or dregs of old wine, applyingthemtothe roots of the Apple.tree, and thereby caufe it to bear a iwee- terifruir. Theophrajlui faith ; If you water an Apple-tree with warm water in the Spring time, ll will become better. The like applications being ufed to Herbs, will make them fweeteralfo. As for example fake j we may procure
Sweet Endive,
There be many thing?, which being watered with fait liquors, do forfake their bit- terneffe, and become fweet. Of which fort Endive is one: and therefore if we would have fweet Endive, Iheophraftus willeth us, to water it with lomefak li- quor, or elle to fet it in fome fait places. The like praitife will procure
Sweet Coleworts*
And therefore the ^Egyptians do-mix water and Nitre together, and fprinkle it up- on Coleworts, that they may be fweet: And hence it is that the beft Coleworts are they which are planted in fait grounds: for the faltneffe, either of the ground where it is fet, or of the liquor wherewith it is watered, doth abate and take a- way the tartneffe and natural faltneffe of the Coleworts. In like manner, if you would procure
Sweet Betony,
Theophrafins counfclleth you to water them with fait liquor, and fo they will be bet- ter. Which very fame things Pliny reporteth out of the fame Author. Likewife you may procure
Sweet %ochet)
fuch as will yeeld leaves that fhall bemoretoothfome, if you water it with fait li- quor. There is another Height in husbanding of Pot-herbs, whereby they may be produced fitter to be earen ; and this is by cropping the ftalks of them,
Bap I will grow the fweet er^
if youcroptheflalkof it: for atthefecond fpringing, the ftalkwill be fwecter
and
Of the TrodnBion of new Plants. lei
and pleafancer ; a moft evident reaion whereof is .aligned by Thsophraflui. So
Lettice will be the fleeter
at the fecond fpringing. 'theophrr.flm faitb, that the t'weeteft Lettice fprii^r up after the cropping of the firft tops ; for the firft tops of their firft Springing, are fu!i oft milky kind of juice, which is not fo pleafant, becaufe that iris not throughly ccn- cofted ; but they which grow at the fecond fpringing, if you take them when ti.cy are young and tender, will be far fweeter. He (hews alfo, how
Leeks may be made fweeter • by cropping them once or twice, and afterward let them grow : the caufc whereof he hath afligncd in his book of caufes, namely, that their firft (hooting up is the weakeft and the moft unperfe&.The like is to be thought and pra&iied in other Pot- herbs : for the cropping or cutting off,doth make the fecond lprouts to be the fwee- ter, aimoft in all herbs. There are alfo divers other Heights in husbanding and dref- fingof fuch Pot-herbs, whereby they may be made fweeter to be eaten. As for example,
Garlickjnay be made fweeter ,
for Sotion is perfwaded, that, if you break the Cloves of Garlick before you fee them, oreifefupple them with the Lees of oyle, when you do fet them, they will gather and yield a far fweeter relifh. By another Height far differing from this,
Onions may be made fweeter ;
for we muft confider,that divers things do exercife a mutual difcord or agreement & concord of natures toward each other;whercby they cither help one another,if their natures agree ; or, if their natures diflent,they hurt and deftroy one another. Nuts and Onions have a fympathy or agreement of nature ; and therefore if you lay up Nuts amongft Onions, the Onions will caufe the Nuts to laft the longer : in liew of which kindnefs, Nuts do gratifie Onions with another good turn, for they eafe the Onions of their fharpneffe, as Palladim hath obferved.
Chap. XVIII.
How fruits that are in their growings may be made to receive and refemble aH figures and imprejfions whatfoever.
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 induftry, and often experiments that he makes of them, turn and apply to very good ufc. Whence it is that the Poet faith, manifold experience, and much labour and practice, fets a broach to the world many new arts and rare devices.Andbecaufe the moft part arc not acquainted with the caufe of fuch things, thence it is, that they are elteemed to be miraculous, and to come to paffe befides Natures rule. We have oftentimes fecn in Citrons, di- vers kinds of ftamps and impreffions, which were made there by chance ; as by the hitting of fome carved matter, or any flick, or fuch like, which hath cauied the fame ionprefltons : whence, the wit of man hath deviled to caufe divers kinds of fruits, to grow up with divers kinds of figures on them. If you take an earthen vcflel,and put - into it an apple that is very young,as it hangs upon the Tree growing,the Apple will grow to fill up his earthen cafe, and will be of any form whatfoever you would de- fire, if you make the cafe accordingly. Alfo if you pown any colours and bray them together, and difpofe of them in places convenient on the fruit, on the infidc of the cafe, the fruits will wear and expreffe the fame colours, as if they were natu- ral unto them. Whence it cometh to paffe, that oftentimes the yellow Qu'mce is made to grow like a mans head, having in it the lively refemblance of white teeth, purple cheeks, black eyes, and in all points expreffmg the form and colour of a
man)?
:oi Natural Magick. TBocJ^^.
mans head, without any greeneffe at all, which is the natural colour of that fsuic whiles it is in growing. And this is the fleight that Africans prefcribes, whereby
A Citron may be made to grow in the Ukenejfeof a mans head) or the head of an horfey or
any other living Creature. You muft take feme Potters clay, or foft morter, and fafhion it to thebigneffe of a Citron that is at his full growth: but you muft cleave it round about with a fharp inftrument, fo that the fruit may be taken out of it handfomly ; and yet in the mean fpace the fides of the cafe mull be fo clofely and firmly joyned together, that the fruitgrowing on, may not break it open. If the counterfeit or cafe which you make, be of wood, then you muft firft make it hollow within; if it be of clay, yournay clap it on, as it is, fo that it be fomewhat dry. But then when the fruic comes to be of a greater and ftronger growth, you muft prepare earthen veflels made for the purpofe, with a bole in them at the lower end, that the ftalk of ihe fruit may there be let in : Into thefe earthen veflels you muft enclofe the fruit, and binde them about with a ftrong band, for otherwife the growth of the fruit will break them open : And when you have procured the fruit to grow up into his counterfeit, or fheath as it were, that it is come to the juft bigncfle of a fruit of thatkinde, it will bear the fame (nape and figure which you would have in it. The like wc have fhewed before out of F lorentinm. 'Pontanui alfo fpeaks of the fame device. If, faith he, you would have a Citron to grow in divers (hapes, you muft cover it being young, with fome counterfeit of clay, or wood, or earth, wherein it may be fwadled; as a tender infant in his Nurfes bofom: and that counterfeit will fafhion the fruit into any form ; and when it is taken out, it will refemble any image that you have carved within the counterfeit. So alfo you may deal by
Pomegranates , 'Pears , or any kind of Apples , making them to receive any kinde of for my
for the fame Author writes, that if you beftow the fame pains and diligent care upon any other fort of Apples, you may frame them to every fafhion ; for fo it is in brief ,faith he,that all Apple-fruits may be made to grow up to the fhape of any li- ving creature,if you firft carve the fame fhape into a counterfeit of wood or earth,and let the fruit be (hut up into that counterfeit, that it may gtow up within it. So may you make
A Quince grow in the jbape of living Creatures ,
as Vemocritus affirmeth, by putting them into fome counterfeit that is carved within to the fame proportion , and fo let the Quince grow in it. But it is eafieft to make
Cucumbers grow to any form ;
for if you take earthen veflels of any fafhion, and therewith cloath the Cucumbers when they are very young, and binde them veryfaft about, they will receive any fhape or impreffion very cafily, If you take a Cane, and make it hollow all along, and bind ir faft about, and then put into it a young Cucumber or a young Gourd, it will grow fo pliable within it, that it will fill up the whole length of the Cane. Pliny faith, Cucumbers grow to any fafhion that you would frame them unto ; info- much that you may, if you will, make a Cucumber grow in the fhape of a Dra- gon, winding himfelf many wayes. Likewife, a Gourd will be made to grow pick- ed and fharp by many means, efpecially if it be put into a cafe that is made of fuch pliant twigs as Vines are bound withal; io that this be done as foon as it hath caft the bloflbm. But if yon lay a Gourd betwixt two platters, or difhes, it will grow to the fame plainnefle and roundneffe ;and of all other fruit, this is the eafieft and fitteft to be formed to any fafhion. You may make them to grow like a Flagon, or like a Pear, great at the one end, and fmall at the other, if you tyeithardin that part which you would have to be the lefferafterward when it is come to full growth, dry it, and take out all that is in it, and when you go abroad, carry it about you, it
Of the TrockBtonofnewpTlants. ioj
if ill ferve for a cup to drink in. Hence we learn how it may be effected, that
An t/flmoud jhoitldgrow with An infcriplion in it.
Take an Almond, and ftcep it for two or three dayes; and then break the fheli of it very charily, that the kernel receive no harm : then you mutt write in the ker- nel what you will, but write it as deep in as you fafely may: then windc it up in fome paper, or lomc linen cloth , and overlay it with morter, and foil it with dung; and by that device, when the fruit comcth to be of full growth, it will (hew you your handy work, as AfncanMs recordeth. So may you make
A Teach to grow with An infer ipt ion in it, as Democrat** fhewcth. After you have eaten the fruit , you muft fteep the ftone of it for two or three dayes, and then open it charily, and when you have opened ir, take the kernel that is within the ftone, and write upon it what you will, with a brazen pen, but you muft not print it too deep, then wrap it up in paper, and fo plant it; and the fruit which that will afterward bear, will (hew you what was written in the kernel. But
A Fig will grow with An infeription in /V,
if you carve any Oiape upon the bud, the fig will exprefle it when it is grown : or elfe if you carve it into the fig when it is firft fafhioned : but you muft do it either with a wooden pen, or a bone pen, and fo your labour (hall be fure to take effect. I have printed certain characters upon therincof a Pomegranate, and of a Quince- pear, having firft dipped my penfil in morter ; and when the fruit came up to the juft magnitude, I found in it the fame imprcffions. Now it remains that we (hew hour We may
Fafhion Mandrakes )
thofecountetfeit kind of Mandrake?, which couzeners andcony-chatchers carry a- bout,and fell to many inftead of true Mandrakes. You muft get a great root of Brio- Die, or wilde Nep, and with a (harp inftrument engrave in it a man or a woman, gi- ving either of them their genitories : and then make holes with a puncheon in- to thofe places where the hairs are wont to grow, and put into thofe holes Millet, or fome other fuch thing which may (hoot out his roots like the hairs of ones head. And when you have digged a little pit for it in the ground, you muft let ic . lie there, until fuch time as it (hall be covered with a bark, and the roots alfo be (hot forth.
Chap. XIX.
How fruits may be made to be more tender , and beautiful, and goodly to the eye,
NOw at length, that nothing may paffe us, we will fet down divers kinds of of Heights in husbanding and trimming of herbs and fruits, whereby tbey may be made not onely tenderer , i wceter, larger, and better relifhed, but alfo Crefhcr coloured, and more Tightly to the eye. And firft
How an Apple-tree and a M)f tie-tree may be bettered, we may learn out of Theophraflm , who counfellcth to water their roots with warm water, and promifcth the bettering of the fruit by that means j nay it will cauic the Myrtle fruit to be without any kernel at all. And this, faith he, was found out by chance, in certain of thefe Trees growing ncer unto a hoc Bath. If you would procure