Book III, chapters 13–16: Husbandry and the production of new plants

CHAP. XIII.

How fruit may be produced without any outward rines or shels.

THe very same helps and devices which we prescribed for the producing of fruits without their inner kernel, we may likewise use in the practice of producing Nuts, & such like fruits as are wont to grow in shells and rines, that they may grow naked as it were without any shel at all. And first this may be effected by taking away the pith out of the plants that bear them so.

A Nut without a shell,

may be produced, as Damageron teacheth. If you bore a hole quite thorough the Nut-tree, and put into it a stake of Elm to fill it up, you shall thereby stop the pith from ascending into the upper parts, and so no shells can grow because it is the pith only that causeth them. Palladius counselleth you to bore the hole through the root, and stop it up with a stake of box, or some wedge made of iron, or of copper. But Theophrastus sheweth, how to procure

Almonds and Chest-nuts with a soft shell,

and this is by skill in dressing the Trees. If you would soften and alter the fruit, we must apply the root with Swins-dung: for this is a very forcible worker; likewise often digging will cause both the plants to prosper better, and the fruit to become better also: for the kernels will be smaller, in such fruit as have any stones in them; and such fruit as grow in shells or rines, as Almonds, and Chest-nuts, will have the softer shell without, and the larger kernel within: for the greater store of nourishment there is applyed to the Tree, the moister it is, and the substance of the fruit is so much the more encreased. But Palladius would perswade us, that if we rid away the earth from the rootes of the Almond-tree some certain daies before it begin to blossom, and all that while apply them with warm water, we shall hereby procure the Almond-shels to be very tender. If we would procure

That kinde of Nut which is called Nux Tarentina,

the same author Damageron hath shewed us how to do it. Every Nut and Almond will yeeld a mild fruit with a tender shell, if we continually apply the body and root of the tree with pouring ashes upon them; and likewise all other kind of fruits that grow in any shell or rine, may be so wrought upon, and will suffer the like alteration by the like means practised upon them. If you would procure a Tarentine Nut, Palladius saith, you must water the Tree with Lye thrice a moneth throughout a whole year, and so you may obtain your purpose. Others effect such alterations by correcting the plants; as, by cutting off the tops of the roots. If the Nut be too hard shelled, you may also remedy it by cutting and paring off the bark of the Tree, as Damageron sheweth; for by this means you draw down that harsh and wilde humour: The reason whereof is, because the bark of the Tree answereth to the shell of the fruit, as the pith of the Tree answereth to the kernel of the fruit: and therefore, as to amend the inner kernel we abated the pith, so to soften or amend the utter shell or rine of the fruit, we must abate the utter bark of the Tree. A thing which we have observed by another like example: for a Peach being engraffed upon a bitter Almond-tree, the pill of the fruit thence growing was so bitter, that it could not be eaten till the pill were pared off. This secret may stead you in many other experiments of the like kind. But this kind of Nut which we now speak of, I have growing in my own Orchard, and it hath such a tender shell, and so thin, that as soon as ever it is but touched, the shell falls off, and the fruit is bare and naked. Florentinus assayed to produce

An Almond without a shell,

on this manner: He break the shell very charily, so that the kernel was kept whole; then he took wool, and sometimes green leaves of the Vine or of the Plane-tree, and wrapt about the kernel, lest if he should have set it without my covering about it, the Emots or such like vermine should have gnawn it. Columella sheweth another device whereby we may procure

A Filberd to become a Tarentine Nut.

When you have made your pit wherein you purpose to set your Nut, put into it a little earth, about half a foot deep, and there plant the feed of Fennel-gyant; and when the Fennel is come up, cleave it, and within the pith of it put your Filberd without any shell upon it, and so cover it all over with earth: this if you practise before the Calends of March, or betwixt the Nones and the Ides of March, you shall have your purpose. They prescribe likewise another device, whereby

Gourds may bring forth fruit without any seeds within them:

The Gourd, say they, will grow seedless, if you take the first branch or sprig of a Gourd when it is a little grown up, and bury it in the earth as they use to deal by Vines, so that onely the head thereof may appear; and so soon as it is grown up again, to bury it so again: but we must have a special care that the slips which grow up out of the stalk be cut away, and none but the stalk left behind; so shall the fruit that grows upon it, whether it be Gourds or Cucumbers, be destitute of all seed within. Likewise they will grow without seeds in them, if the seeds which are planted, be macerated or steeped in Sea-famine oyle, for the space of three dayes before they be sowed.

CHAP. XIIII.

How to procure fruits, to be of divers colours, such as are not naturally incident to their kinde.

NOw we will shew how to colour fruits: to the effecting whereof there have been divers means devised; as waterings, and engraffings which can never be sufficiently commended or spoken of, and other like practises. To begin with engraffing; If we would colour any fruit, we must engraffe it upon a plant that flourishes with the same colour which we would borrow. As for example, If we would produce

Red Apples,

we must engraffe them upon a Plane-tree, and the fruit will be red, as Diophanes, Didymus, and Palladius affirm. So we may procure that the fruit

Rhodacen shall grow red,

if we engraffe it upon a Plane-tree, as Africanus witnesseth. Of whom Palladius learned that the way to make Rhodacens look red, is to engraff them into a Plane-tree. If you would have

Citrons of a red scarlet-colour,

Avicenna shews you may effect it by engraffing them into a Pomegranate-tree; for we shewed before that such an engraffing may well be made. But if you would have

Citrons to be blood-red,

Florentinus sheweth that you may effect this by engraffing them into a Mulberry-tree; which experiment Deophanes approveth. Likewise he that desires to have

Red Pears,

must engraffe them into a Mulberry-tree; for by this means the Pears will grow red, as Tarentinus and Diophanes do witnesse. So also you may procure

A white Fig to become red,

by engraffing it upon a Mulberry-tree, as the same Diophanes witnesseth. By the same means

Apples may be of a blood-red colour,

if they be engraffed into a Mulberry-tree, as Avicenna sheweth. But Beritius and Diophanes write, that the Mulberry-tree it self, which makes all other Apple-fruit to become red, may be caused to bring forth

White Mulberries,

if it be engraffed into a white Poplar tree; for this will alter the colour of the fruit. But Palladius procures this effect by another means; not by engraffing the Mulberry into a white Poplar, but into the Fig-tree; for this also will alter their colour, and cause

White Mulberries,

as he shews in his verses; wherein he saith, that the Fig-tree doth perswade Mulberries to change their own colour and to take hers; whereof I my self have seen the experience. Likewise, of

A white Vine may be made red Wine,

if we engraffe a white Vine into a black: for the stock into which it is engraffed, will alter the colour much, as I have seen by experience in hony-grapes, those which we call Greek-grapes; for the Vines which have been engraffed upon those Greek-Vines, have yeelded a blackish juice or wine; and the oftner such engraffing hath been made, the blacker juice was yeelded. In the places about the Hill Vesuvius the white-wine grape, which grows upon her own stalk that is engraffed into the Greek-vine yeelds a more high-coloured wine then others do. Another way to make

Apples grow red,

is by diligent and cunning dressing, even by applying them with hot and fat receipts; for there are two chief Elements or principles of colours; white, and black, or dark coloured; now by dressing them, and applying fat things unto them, we may procure every flower or fruit that is blackish, to become brighter and fresher coloured; whereas on the other side, if they be neglected, that we do not bestow pains and care in trimming them, their colour will not be so lively, but degenerate into a whiterish hew; for all colours that begin to fade, wax somewhat whitish. Beritius therefore, endeavouring to make Apples grow red, watered them with Urine, and so obtained his purpose. But Didymus

To procure red Pomegranates,

watered the Tree with Bath-waters sodden into Lye, and some other water mixed therewith. But there is yet another device, whereby we may procure

Apples to grow red,

by opposing them directly to the greatest force of the Sun-beams; for this will make them red. Beritius, that […]e might cause the reflex of the Sun-beams to be more forcible upon the fruit, used this sleight. He fastened certain stakes into the ground, and weighing down the boughs that had fruit upon them, he bound them charily without hurting the fruit to those stakes; and neer thereunto he digged certain ditches filling them with water, or else would place some other vessels full of water neer the boughs; casting this in his conjecture, that surely the heat of the Sun lighting upon the water, would cause hot vapours, which being reflected together with the heat of the Sun into the places neer adjoyning where the fruit hangs, and so reflected upon the fruit, would procure them to be of a reddish and a goodly colour. Beritius assayed to procure

Red Apples,

by another devise, by a secret kind of operation. Under the Tree he was wont to set Roses, which did lend their goodly hew to the Apples that grow upon the Tree above them. Democritus practised the like device not upon Apples, but upon Rhodacens, and made

Red Rhodacens,

by planting Roses underneath the Tree, round about the roots. Likewise we may colour fruit by colouring the seeds of them; for look what colour we procure in the seed, either by steeping it in some coloured liquor, or by any other means, the fruit will grow to be of the same colour which the seed is, when it is set or sown. As for example, we may colour

Peaches,

with Sanguinary or Vermillion; If we bury a Peach-stone in the ground, and take it up again seven dayes after (for in that time the stone will open of it self) and then put into it some Vermillion, and bury it in the earth again, and afterward look carefully unto it, we shall thereby procure Vermillion-peaches. And Dsmocritus is perswaded, that if we should put into it any other colour after the same manner, the Peach would be of that other colour. It is a thing commonly reported among us, and it is not unlike to be true, that

Peaches may be of a sanguine-colour,

by another means. You must take a Peach-stone, and put it into a Carrot that is then growing, and the stalk which grows of that stone in the Carrot, if it be carefully nourished and preserved, will bring forth Peaches of a sanguine colour. In like manner, If you would have

White kernels growing in a Pomegranate,

Palladius sheweth how to do it, by the authority of Martial. If you take chalk and white clay, and with them mingle a quarter so much plastering, and apply the Pomegranate-tree roots with this kind of soilage or dunging, for the space of three whole years together, you shall obtain your purpose. Likewise, if you desire

Mellons of a Sanguine colour,

you must take Mellon-seeds, and steep them in sanguine liquor for three or four daies together before you set them, you may easily have your desire. Or else, if you open a little the skin of the seed, and put within it the juice of red Roses, Clovegilliflowers, and Black-berries that grow upon Brambles, or of any other like thing, so that it be not hurtful to the seed, you may effect your purpose. And I suppose that the sanguine-coloured Mellons which are seen in these Countries, are thus used, that they may be of this colour. Consequent upon these devices is that sleight whereby

A Peach may grow with any writing upon it.

The Greeks affirm, that a Peach may be made to grow with a writing upon it, if you take out the stone and bury it in the earth for seven dayes; and then when it begins to open, pluck out the kernel, and write in it what you will, with Vermillion-juice: then binde up the kernel into the stone again, and set it so into the ground, and you shall have growing a written fruit. Now as the Sun doth colour the herbs that it may well come at, as we have shewed; so by keeping the force of the Sun away from them, we may whiten them; for so

A Lettice may be made white,

as Florentinus sheweth. If you would, saith he, procure goodly white Lettice, then must you bind together the tops of the leaves, two dayes before they be gathered; for so they will be fair and white. Likewise you may whiten them by casting sand upon them. And with us

Artichocks are made white,

by the very same means which we speak of. And if you would cause

Beets to become whiter then ordinary,

you must cover the roots over with Cow-dung, and as we spoke before concerning Leeks, so here you must cleave the bud, and lay a broad stone or a tile upon it, as Sotion sheweth. So Columella teacheth how to make

Endive to grow white,

when the leaves are shot forth, you must tie them about the tops with a small string, and cover them over with an earthen vessel set fast into the ground, and the herb will be white. Others are at less charges, and cover them over with some earth our Gardeners lay them in sand, and so make them very white. If you would procure

White Sperage,

you must put the slips as soon as ever they appear out of the earth, into a broken reed; and there let them grow for a while, and afterward when you take away the cane or reed, the Sperage will be whiter then ordinary.

CHAP. XV.

How the colour of Flowers may also be changed.

IN transforming and meddling the colours of flowers together, we may procure such strange medleys, as nothing can be more delightful to be seen. Those which are of a […]eep purple colour may be meddled with azure blue; those which are as white as milk, may be meddled either with a duskish hew, or with a green, or crimson, or some other compound colours; in the beholding whereof, the minde cannot chuse but be affected with great delight, and be ravished with admiration, and as it were quite overcome with the excellent beauty of them. Wherefore we will set down certain Rules, whereby we may be able to alter the colour of flowers, as we prescribed certain rules before, whereby we shewed how to alter the colour of fruits. And first we will shew, how by engraffing

Gilliflowers that are of themselves purple, or else white, may become azure blue,

You must cut off (somewhat neer the root) a stalk of Endive or Blue-bottle, or Bugloss, but the old wilde Endive is best for this purpose, and let it be grown to an inch in thickness; then cleave that in the middle which is left growing in the ground, and plant into it a Gilliflower new pluckt up out of the earth, root and all; then bind up the stalks or slips with some sl[…]ght bond, and lay good store of earth and dung round about it: so shall it yield you a flower, that is somewhat bluish, of a most delightful colour to behold. This, many of my friends will needs perswade me, though for my own part, I have often made trial of it, and yet never could see it effected. But this I have seen, that a white Gilliflower slip being engraffed into a red Carrot made hollow for the same purpose, and so buried in the earth, hath yeelded a Sea-coloured flower. Likewise you may procure the white Gilliflower to be of a skarlet-colour, if after the same manner you engraffe it into the root of Orchanet: by which means also you may turn a purple Gilliflower into a skarlet. If you would have

A Rose, as also the flower Jasmine to be of a yellow-colour,

you may procure it by engraffing either of them into a broom-stalk: for of all other, the broom-flower is most yellow: and though we cannot do it so well, by clapping the leaf or the bud of the one upon the leaf or bud of the other, yet it may be effected by boring into the stalk after this manner. You must set a Rose or a Jasmine neer to the broom, and when they are somewhat grown, take them up together with the earth that is about them; (for they will prove better when they are set again, with their own earth which is about them, being as it were their mother, then with any other earth that shall be as it were their step mother,) then bore a passage into the broom-stalk, and when you have cleansed the passage, prune the rose-stalk and plant it into the broom: and there cover them with […]oam where the engraffing was made, and so bind it up. Afterward when the set is grown into the stock, you must cut off all the head somewhat above the engraffing place; so shall you have a Rose or a Jasmine there growing, of a lovely yellowish colour. Which kind of flowers are very usual with us, and this their borrowed colour is so orient and bright, that the eye is scarce able to endure the brightness thereof. There is another means also whereby we may colour flowers, and that is by pouring some colouring into the roots. If you would have

Lillies to be red,

we will shew how to do it, as Florentinus hath shewed us. Take a Lillie-clove or head, and when you have opened it well, pour into it some Sinoper, or any other colouring, and the Lillie-flower that grows out of the clove so dressed, will be of the same colour. But you must be very careful that you hurt not the clove or head, when you so open it; and besides, you must be sure to cover it with fat and well-soiled earth. By the like means you may procure

Lilly-flowers of a purple colour.

The manner whereof, Anatolius sheweth to be this. You must take ten or twelve Lilly-stalks, about such time as they be ready to yeeld flowers, bind them all together and hang them up in the smoak: then will there spring out of them some small roots, like unto a Scallion. Therefore when the time of the year serves to set them, you must steep the stalks in the Lees of red Wine, till you see they be throughly stained with that colour: then you must take them asunder, and set every one of them by it self, watering them still with the same Lees; and so you shall have Lillies that bear a purple flower. Cassianus attempted by the very like means

To produce white Ivy:

He steeped it in white Marle, and covered the roots of it with the same morter for eight dayes together, and it brought forth white berries. We may effect the like matters by careful manuring and dressing of fruits; for if we apply them with fat and fertile muck, the flowers will be a great deal the better coloured, and may be made blackish; as we have often proved in Clove-gilliflowers, which we have procured to be so deep coloured, that they have been even black. And on the contrary

Roses, Clove-gilliflowers, and Violets will wax of a whiterish colour,

if they be not carefully lookt unto, that either you do not water them well, nor transplant them, nor dig about them, nor feed them with muck; for by this means Theophrastus writeth, not only these kinds of flowers, but almost all other, that grow in Woods and Forrests unregarded, do become whiterish. But Didymus hath devised another kind of sleight divers from these, whereby to make Roses and Clove-gilliflowers to become white very suddenly; and this is, by smoaking and perfuming them with brimstone about the time that they begin to open.

CHAP. XVI.

How fruits and Flowers may be made to yeeld a better savour then ordinary.

AS it is pretty and delightsome to see fruits and flowers wear a counterfeit colour; so it is worth our labour to procure in them a more fragrant smell, then their ordinary kind is wont to afford: which thing we may effect by divers wayes, by planting, by watering, and by other devices. And for example sake, we will first shew, how to make

Limons to become very odoriferous.

If we take that least kind of Limons which is called Limoncellum picciolu[…], and engraff into a Citron-tree, the stock will inspire the fruit with a very goodly smell; and the oftner that you so engraffe it, the sweeter smell it will afford, as by daily experience we have tried in our Naples Gardens. So also we may procure

Very odoriferous Pears,

by engraffing them upon a Quince-tree, for the […]tock thereof will lend the fruit a grateful savour. Diophanes avoucheth, that

Apples may be made more odoriferous,

if they be engraffed into a Quince-tree; and that hereby are procured those goodly Apples which the Athenians call Melimela. And I suppose that the Apple called Appium malum, was produced by the often engraffing of an Apple into a Quince-tree: for the smell of it is somewhat like a Quince; and it is not unlike that Appius Claudius found it out, and first procured it by the same means. Likewise we have with us great red Apples, and some of them of a m[…]rry colour, which yield the same smell; and questionless could never be produced but by the same means. So we have procured

The Centifole Rose to be more odoriferous.

If you would do so too, you must engraffe it into that kind of Rose, which, by reason of the sweet smell of Musk that it carries with it, is called Moschatula; but you must oftentimes reiterate the engraffing of it again and again: so shall it be more beautiful, and fuller of leaves, and smell sweeter. But it is best to engraffe it by Inoculation, by clapping the bud of the one upon the bud of the other; for so it will take soonest, and prove best. By a sleight not much unlike to this we may procure

Vines to smell of sweet ointments,

as Paxamus sheweth. If you would have the Vine to smell sweetly, and the place where it groweth, you must take the branches and cleave them, and pour in sweet ointments into them when you are about to plant them. But your labour will take the better effect, if you first steep the branches in sweet oyle, and then plant or engraffe them. I have practised an easier and slighter way, besmearing the branches that are to be engraffed, with Musk, or else steeping them in Rose-water, if the Musk did not stay upon them. So also we could make

Limons to be as odoriferous as Cinnamon,

by taking the sprigs that are to be planted, and besmearing them with oyle or the water of Cinnamon, and dressing them with much industry and diligence: And this kind of Limons is usual amongst us; and is termed by the common-people Limoncellum incancellatum. There is also another device whereby fruits may be made odoriferous, and to smell of Spices; and this is, by taking the seeds of them, and steeping them in sweet water before they be sowed. As for example: If we would procure

Odoriferous Artichocks,

Cassianus hath declared out of Varro, the manner how to effect it. You must take Artichock-seeds, and steep them for the space of three dayes in the juice of Roses, or Lillies, or Bayes, or some other like, and so to set them in the ground. Also you may make Artichocks smell like Bayes, if you take a Bay-berry, and make a hole in it, and put therein your Artichock-seed, and so plant it. Palladius records out of the same Author, that if you steep Artichock-seeds for three dayes together in the oyle of Bayes, or Spikenard, or Balme-gum, or the juice of Roses, or of Mastick, and afterward set them when they are dry, that then the Artichocks that grow out of those seeds, will yeeld the smell and savour of that which the seeds were before steeped in. Florentinus makes

Mellons of the fragrant smell of Roses,

after this manner, by taking Mellon-seeds, and laying them up amongst dry Roses, and so planting them one amongst another. I have procured Mellons to smell like Musk, by opening that part whereby the seed sprouts out, and steeping them in Rose-water wherein some Musk was distilled also, and so planting them after two dayes steeping. So we have procured

Odoriferous Lettice,

by taking the seed of Lettice, and putting it into the seed of a Citron, and so planting it. After the same manner, you may learn to make

Flowers grow that shall smell of Cloves;

if you take the seeds of those flowers, and lay them in Clove-powder, or the oyle of Cloves, or Clove-water distilled, and so set them: for by this means, the flowers will entertain the smell and savour of the Cloves. And this I take it, was the cun-ning the cunning sleight whereby our ordinary Clove-gilliflowers were first produced; for questionlesse Gilliflowers do grow everywhere of themselves without any such pleasant smell; and besides, they are of a smaller assize, and of their own kinde somewhat wilde. But it should seem, that Gardeners did by their industry and trimming, bestow the smell of Cloves upon them, by steeping their seeds in Clove-water, or by suppling them with the oyle of Cloves, or else by sticking Cloves in the roots of them, and so planting them. We may adde to these sleights another device,

How to make Garlick grow that shall not smell rankly and unsavourily.

Sotion hath taught us the way. If, saith he, you do set Garlick, and pluck it up again, both, when the Moon is underneath the earth, it will not have any bad savour. And Theophrastus hath taught us a means

How we may procure Roses to yield a more odoriferous smell,

namely, if you take Garlick, and plant it neer your Roses.