An Extract of Another Letter Written by the Same Gentleman, Mr. Wray, to the Publisher, of Febr. 8th. 1670/71 Containing Some Experiments about the Bleeding of the Sycamore, and Other Trees; As Also, a Considerable Note of Pliny about the Mulberry Tree

Mr. Wray hath assured me, that those of Warwickshire bled the 16th of November last past copiously; and since the Walnut-tree also. And so much for matter of fact. To what cause we may truly refer this Anomalous Bleeding, is not easy to say. For my part, I am not apt to think, that there is such a sudden and extemporary Ascent of Sap, at such time as these Trees are most dispos'd to bleed; but rather that the Sap, in all parts of the Tree, is some ways notably altered in its temper and consistence: And this Bleeding by stress of weather may in these Trees probably be look'd upon as a violence done to their natures from an unkind Climate; considering the Walnut and Sycamore as strangers, and not natives of England. 'Tis indeed true, there are many sorts of English Plants, which will bleed in Winter; but note also, that such Plants never refuse to do so at any time of the year, no more than a Man, who may bleed a vein when he pleaseth. But let the Hypothesis be what it will, I am perswaded, we shall have but dark and imperfect notions of the motion of the Juyces in Vegetables, until their true Texture be better discover'd. To conclude this subject, I now put these two Queries; 1. Whether the Juice of Trees, whilest alive and vegete, can properly be said, at any time of the year, to descend, or to be wanting in any part, or not to be therein in a much like quantity? 2. What condition the Soil is of, where such Trees are planted, that shall either bleed or refuse to do so; whether Sandy, as that of Nottingham; or a wet Clay, as that of the two Trees, I have observ'd here at York? An Extract of another Letter written by the same Gentleman, Mr. Wray, to the Publisher, of Febr. 8th. 1672. Containing some Experiments about the Bleeding of the Sycamore, and other Trees; as also, a considerable Note of Pliny about the Mulberry-Tree. Concerning the Bleeding of the Sycamore, let me acquaint you with the following Experiment. The first instant it froze, the Wind at North; the Frost and Wind continued (some little Snow and rain falling) the 2d, 3d, 4th, 5th, 6th, until the 7th in the morning, when the Wind came about to the the South-East, and the weather broke up a pace. The Sycamores bled not all this while, but the 7th about Noon all Trees of that kind bled very freely, both at the Twigs and Body, and I struck above a dozen. At this same Critical season I was willing to repeat the Experiment upon other Trees; and to this end I forthwith struck the Hawthorn, Hazel, Wild Rose, Gooseberry-bush, Apple-tree, Cherry-tree, Blather-nut, Apricock, Cherry-Lavrel, Vine, Walnut; yet none bled but the last-named, and that faintly in comparison of the Sycamore. This is consonant to our former Experiments: And if it did happen (as I said in my former Letter,) that these Sycamores bled not all this Winter afore at the wounds made the first of November, I do now think, that if new wounds had been still made at every break of Frost, some signes, at least of our Yorkshire bleeding, might have been discover'd before now. But I affirm no more, than I have seen and tried. In all the Monuments of the Antients, collected by the great industry of Pliny, I find but few instances of this nature. Amongst those few, there is one that is registred with two or three remarkable circumstances to our purpose. He tells us, that the Physitians of old, when they had a mind to draw the Juice of the Mulberry-tree, were wont to strike it skin-deep only, and that about two hours after Sun-rise. This Experiment is twice mentioned by him, and in both places as a strange phenomenon. We might make our Comment upon the places, but for this time are content only to transcribe the Texts. Lib. 16. c. 38. Mirum; hic (cortex) in Moro, Medicis succum quaerentibus, fere hora diei secundâ, lapide incusus manat, altius fractus succus videtur. Lib. 23. c. 7. Morae in Ægypto & Cypro sui generis, ut diximus, largosucco abundant, summo cortice desquamato, a tiore plugâ seccantur; mirabili naturâ. Some Observations concerning the Variety of the Running of Sap in Trees, compared with a Weather glass; made in April, 1670. Together with some ways of ordering Birch-water: By Dr. Ez. Tonge. I am this day very much confirmed in my apprehension, that Trees and other Plants, if we could contrive them, as I have