Queries Concerning Vegetation, Especially the Motion of the Juyces of Vegetables, Communicated by Some Curious Persons

if dried, infuse them with water in a heat for 24 hours; then vapour away the water till the dissolution be as thick as a Syrup (but for this use strain them not from their feces). Take this Mass, and put it into an Earthen or Wooden Vessel covered with some Straw or something else of that nature, that it lie not too close, and so proportion the quantity to the Vessel, that the Air may come about and into the Mass (yet not too much.) Then set this vessel in a ditch or pit made in the Earth in a shady place, and put about it some wet leaves or some such putrifying rubbish, and over it a board, and on that some straw or the like; and it will produce first a shelly husky Worm, and then a Fly of the Tincture of the Concrete, but durable and somewhat more advanc'd. And as for Berries, stamp and boil them, evaporating them to the consistence of a Robe, and then use them as the former. Lastly, for Woods, infuse them in water, being first pulveriz'd, and boil out their tincture, and then evaporate also the Water to such a thickness, as the other, and handle them in the like way. The Flyes will play about the sides of the Vessel and the surface of the matter, which taken are kill'd in a warm pan or stove, and so dried and kept. Queries Concerning Vegetation, especially the Motion of the Juice of Vegetables, communicated by some Curious persons. 1. What Vegetables there are, which, having the wrong end of them set downward into the ground, will yet grow; as 'tis said Elders and Bryars will. 2. Whether the Branch of a Plant (as of a Vine or Bramble) being laid into the ground while it yet growing on the Tree, and there taking root, being cut off from the Tree while so growing, will shoot out forward and backward? 3. In tapping, cutting or boring of any Tree, whether the Juice, that vents at it, comes from above or below. 4. What part of the Juice ascends or descends by the Bark? Whether what so ascends, ascends by the outward or inward part of it? 5. Whether, if a Zone of about two or three inches be cut off about the bottom of a branch, that branch will dye, or cast its leaves, or bleed out a Juice from the upper or lower part of the bark so cut, or be apt to shoot out leaves or branches or knobs either above or below that baring? 6. What the use of the Pith is? Whether the Juice ascend or descend by it? And what effects will follow, if the Trunk be bored to the pith, and a pegg droven hard into the hole of the pith both above and below? This to be tryed in the most pithy Plants? 7. Whether the Points or Ends of the Roots being cut off, the Roots will bleed as copiously, as Branches of the Trunks do, when bored? 8. What side of the Tree affords most sap? 9. Of what Age Trees afford most Sap? 10. What are the best Seasons of the Year for taking the Sap of every kind of Tree in greatest quantity; and how long that season lasteth? 11. Whether the Sap comes more copiously at one time of the day or night, than another? 12. Whether Trees afford any considerable Juice in the Fall? 13. What effect, copiousness or scarcity of Rain hath upon the saps of Trees? 14. Whether or no the nature of a Tree may be changed by applications of Juices or Liquors to the Roots or other parts? 15. Whether a Tree, whose Root is cover'd from Rain, and not water'd, if the branches of it be expos'd to the Air, will grow? 16. Whether inoculated Roots of a Tree will grow? 17. How short the Arms of the Roots of a Tree may be cut, and the Tree still grow? 18. How deep the several kinds of Trees are to be set in the ground to grow? 19. Whether 19. Whether or no a Seed being planted either way, it will grow equally? 20. Whether the Stem of a Tree being set in the Earth, and the Root turn'd up into the Air, the Tree will grow? &c. These Queries are made publick, to the end that such as are curious and inquisitive in this noble Subject of Vegetation, may be the better furnish'd with matter to exercise their researches and Observations upon, and be also excited to communicate what they either already know, or may yet learn of these matters, for further elucidation of the yet too obscure nature of Vegetation. And though perhaps there may be divers among these Queries, resolved already by the skilful, yet it seem'd not amiss, to propose them here again among the rest, to see what further confirmation or new addition might be given in by others concerning the particulars, they speak about. And to the same end shall be subjoyned here, some other Inquiries, imparted by a Person of Honour for the obtaining of ampler information, than hitherto hath been had therein. They are such as follow. Inquiries concerning the Use and Culture of the Kitchen-Garden and Winter-greens: | Roots | Eat raw. | |-------|---------| | First Shoot | Boyle. | | Sprouts | Roite. | | Stalks | Bake. | | Buds. | Pickle. | | Flowers | Preserve. | | Fruits. | Conserve. | | Kernels. | Candy. | | Seeds. | Dry whole. | 1. What to dry to powder, serving for Spice. Make Wine. Make Cyde. Make Perry. Make Ale and other various Drinks. Make Vinegar and Verjuice. Make thick Juices like Honey. Make Concrete Juices like Sugar. Make Bread. Make Cakes, Puddings and Baked Meats. Make Broaths. Give pleasant Colours to Meat and Drinks. What Herbs are fit to make Sallets, and how to be order'd for that purpose. 2. The best season to sow every sort of Seed. 3. How often every sort of seed ought to be sowed for the constant use of the Kitchen-garden? 4. How the Earth is compounded and order'd for several kinds of Seeds and Plants? 5. What to be sow'd on the cold ground? 6. What to be sow'd on hot beds? 7. Several ways of making hot beds, and their attendance? 8. How and what to be transplanted either into cold ground, or into new hot beds, and how order'd after? 9. What Observations of the Sun, Moon, and Weather, for sowing, planting and transplanting? 10. How to Water and shade Plants new planted, and Seeds sow'd? 11. What thrives best in the Sun? 12. What thrives best in the shade? 13. What, and how such as will not prosper in the Greenhouse, may be cover'd and preserv'd abroad? 14. The several names of Worms, Vermine and Insects, that are noxious to the Garden? 15. The Remedies. 16. The best forme and dimension of the Green-house; as also of what to build and cover it? 17. What to be hous'd in Winter? 18. How to order the Pots or Tubs before they are hous'd? 19. When and in what weather to open and close the Green-house? 20. What observations at the first setting abroad of the Winter-greens in the Spring? 21. How to prune and dung the Winter-greens? 22. What may be increas'd by the Root? 23. What increas'd by Layers? 24. What by slips or Cuttings? 25. What grows best of Seeds that shed and sow themselves? 26. What to be grafted and inoculated? 27. The 27. The several ways of grafting and inoculating? 28. How to alter the shape, smell, colour and taste of Vegetables by joining different Roots together? 29. How and what may be chang'd by grafting, joining or inoculating shoots or Buds on different Stocks or Yons? 30. How to compound several Liquors to water and feed Vegetables, whereby they may be much alter'd? 31. Of what Roots, Stalks, Barks, Leaves, Flowers, Fruits, seeds, Downs, may be made either Cups, Boxes, Baskets, Matts, Calicoes, Cloaths (as Nettle-cloth) and the like? All which will be most useful for the life of Man from the Garden. 32. How to prune Vines? How many Joyns to leave? And of what age the Vine must be, that is cut away? 33. How to prune Standard-trees? 34. How to prune Wall-Trees, and with what to be best fastned? 35. The Places, from whence the best of the Vegetables, that are either Winter-greens, or fit for the Kitchin-garden, may be had; and the marks of their goodness? 36. How to discerne good Seeds from bad? 37. The times of gathering, and the wayes of preserving them, &c. 'Tis supposed, that the Names of the Vegetables, which make up the Kitchin-garden, and the Winter-greens; are sufficiently known: yet if there be any, that desire to have a good List of both sorts publish't, they may be gratify'd therein upon intimation given to the publisher, who hath by him such a List, collected by the same Noble Person, who now proposeth the Queries for fuller information, than hath been given hitherto. A Suggestion: For taking more notice, than hath been done formerly, of the Juyces of Trees, by tapping them. Although some have been Curious in taking notice and making use of the Liquors of some Trees by tapping them, yet is there much wanting in this kind of Observations and Tryals,