Book III, chapters 4–7: Husbandry and the production of new plants

CHAP. IV.

Of a second means whereby fruits may be mingled and compounded together.

THere is also a second way of compounding divers kinds of fruits together; namely, by another manner of graffing. As for example; If we would produce

Pomegranates compounded of divers kinds,

Theophrastus sheweth us how to do it. We must take the young slips or branches of divers kinds, and bruise them with a Beetle, so that they may stick and hang together; and then binde them up very hard each to other, and set them in the ground: and if they be well laid together, all those slips will grow up jointly into one Tree; but so, that every one of them retains his own kind, and receives his several nourishment by it self, and severally digests it: and the chief community which they have all together, is their mutual embracing each of other. The same Theophrastus teaches us in the same place,

How one and the same Vine-branch may bring forth a black and a white grape both together; and how in the same grape may be found a white and black stone hanging together.

Take the branch of a white Vine, and another of the black, and the uppermost half of either of them must be bruised together; then you must match them equally, and binde them up together, and plant them: for by this means they will grow up both into one joint; for every living thing may be matcht with another, especially where one is of the same or the like kind with the other: for then if they be dissolved, as these are in some sort when they are bruised, their natures will easily close together, and be compact into one nature: but yet either of these branches hath his several nourishment by it self, without confusion of both together; whereby it cometh to passe, that the fruit arising from them is of a divers nature, according as either of the sprigs requireth. Neither ought this to seem strange, that both of them concurring into one, should yet retain each of them their severall kind, seeing the like hereof may be found in certain Rivers which meet together by confluence into one and the same channel, and yet either of them keeps his own several course and passage; as do the Rivers Cephisus and Melas in Boeotia. Columella teacheth us to do this thing on this manner. There is, saith he, a kind of engraffing, whereby such kind of grapes are produced, as have stones of divers kinds, and sundry colours; which is to be done by this means. Take four or five, or more (if you will) Vine-branches of divers kinds, and mingle them together by equal proportion, and so binde them up. Afterward put them into an earthen pipe or a horn fast together; but so, that there may be some parts of them seen standing out at both ends; and those parts so standing forth, must be dissolved or bruised: and when you have so done, put them into a trench in the ground, covering them with muck, and watering them till they begin to bud. And when the buds are grown fast together, after two or three years, when they are all knit and closed into one, then break the pipe, and neer about the middle of the stalk beneath the sprouts, there where they seem to have most grown together, cut off the Vine, and heal that part where it is so cut, and then lay it under the ground again about three fingers deep: and when that stalk shall shoot up into sprigs, take two of the best of them, and cherish them, and plant them in the ground, casting away all the other branches; and by this means you shall have such kinds of grapes as you desire. This very same experiment doth Pliny set down, borrowing it of Columella. But Didymus prescribes it on this manner. Take two Vine-branches of divers kinds, and cleave them in the middle; but with such heedful regard, that the cleft go as far as the bud is, and none of the pith or juice be lost; then put them each to other, and close them together, so that the bud of either of them meet right one with the other: and as much as possibly may be, let them touch together, whereby both those buds may become as one: then binde up the branches with paper as hard together as you can, and cover them over with the Sea-onion, or else with some very stiff clammy earth; and so plant them, and water them after four or five daies, so long till they shoot forth into a perfect bud. If you would produce

A Fig, that is half white, and half red;

Leontinus teacheth you to do it after this manner. Take two shoots of divers kinds of Fig-trees; but you must see that both the shoots be of the same age, and the same growth as neer as you can: then lay them in a trench, and dung them, and water them. And after they begin to bud, you must take the buds of each, and binde them up together, so that they may grow up into one stalk: and about two years after, take them up, and plant them into another stock, and thereby you shall have Figs of two colours. So then by this means

All fruits may be made to be party-coloured;

and that not onely of two, but of many colours, accordingly as many kinds of fruits may be compounded together. And surely these experiments are very true, though they be somewhat hard to be done, and require a long times practice, as I my self have had experience. The like experiment to these is recorded by Palladius, and by other Greek Writers, who shew the way

How a Vine may bring forth clusters of grapes that are white, but the stones of the grapes black.

If white and black Vines grow neer together, you must shred the branches of each, and presently clap them together so, that the bud of either may meet right together, and so become one: then binde them up hard in paper, and cover them with soft and moist earth; and so let them lie three dayes or thereabouts: after that, see that they be well and fitly matcht together, and then let them lie till a new bud come forth of a fresh head: and by this means you shall procure in time, divers kinds of grapes, according to the divers branches you put together. I my self have made choice of two shoots of two divers Vines growing one by another; I have cleft or cut them off in that place where the buds were shooting forth, leaving the third part of the bud upon the branch; I fastened them together, and bound them up into one very fast, lest when the buds should wax greater, one of them might flie off from the other: I fitted them so well, branch with branch, and bud with bud, that they made but one stalk; and the very same year they brought forth grapes that had cloven kernels or stones. This shoot so springing up, I put to another; and when that was so sprung up, I put that also to another; and by this continual fitting of divers sprigs one to another, I produced clusters of divers-coloured and divers-natured grapes: for one and the same grape was sweet and unsavoury; and the stones were some long, some round, some crooked; but all of them were of divers colours. Pontanus hath elegantly shewed

How Citron-trees may bear divers kinds;

namely, by joining two sundry boughs together, after the bark hath been pared aaway, and fastning each to other with a kind of glue, that they may grow up one as fast as the other; and when they are engraffed into one stock, they must be very carefully covered and looked unto, and so one and the same branch will bring forth fruit of divers kinds. So you may procure

An Orenge-tree to bring forth an Apple half sweet and half sowre.

And this kind of commixtion was invented by chance; for there were graffed two boughs of Orenge-trees, one brought forth a sweet, and the other a sharp fruit. When occasion served to transplant and remove the Tree, it was cut off in the middle, according as Husband-men are wont to do when they plant such Trees after they are grown old; and by great chance, it was cut off there where the two boughs had been before engraffed: and so when the stock budded afresh, there arose one bud out of the sharp and sweet branches both together as they were left in the stock; and this one bud brought forth Apples or fruit of both relishes. Wherefore no question but such a thing may be effected by art, as well as it was by chance, if any man have a minde to produce such kind of fruits.

CHAP. V.

Of a third way, whereby divers kinds of fruits may be compounded together.

WE will also set down a third way, whereby we may mingle and compound divers kinds of fruits together. A way which hath been delivered unto us by the Ancients, though for my own part I think it to be not onely a very hard, but even an impossible matter. Notwithstanding, because grave Ancient Writers have set it down, I cannot scorn here to rehearse it: and though I have put it in practice, but to no purpose, for it hath not so fallen out as they write, yet I will not discourage any man that hath a mind to make trial hereof; for it may be that fortune will second their endeavours better then she did mine. The way is this; to gather many seeds of sundry Trees and fruits, and wrapping them up together, so to sow them: and when they are grown up into stalks, to bind all the stalks together, that they may not flie asunder, but rather grow up all into one Tree; and this Tree will bring forth divers kinds of fruits, yea and one and the same fruit will be mingled and compounded of many. It should seem that the Authors of this experiment, learned it first out of Theophrastus, who writes, that, If you sow two divers seeds neer together within a hands breadth, and then sow two other divers seeds a little above them, the roots which will come of all these seeds will lovingly embrace and winde about each other, and so grow up into one stalk or stock, and be incorporated one into another. But special care must be had how the seeds be placed; for they must be set with the little end upward, because the bud cometh not out of the low and hollow parts, but out of the highest. And there are four seeds required, because so many will easily and fitly close together. A matter, which if it were true, it might be a very ready means which would produce exceeding many and wonderful experiments. By such a means

Berries that are party-coloured may be produced.

If you take a great many berries, white, and black, and red, one amongst another, and sow them in the earth together; and when they are shot up, bind all their stalks into one, they will grow together, and yeeld party coloured berries. Pliny writes, that this way was devised from the birds; Nature, saith he, hath taught how to graffe with a seed: for hungry birds have devoured seeds, and having moistened and warmed them in their bellies, a little after have dunged in the forky twistes of Trees, and together with their dung excluded the seed whole which erst they had swallowed: and sometimes it brings forth there where they dung it, and sometimes the wind carries it away into some chinks of the barks of Trees, and there it brings forth. This is the reason why many times we see a Cherry-tree growing in a Wilow, a Plane-tree in a Bay-tree, and a Bay in a Cherry-tree; and withal, that the berries of them have been party-coloured. They write also, that the Jack-daw hiding certain seeds in some secret chinks or holes, did give occasion of this Invention. By this self-same means we may produce

A Fig that is partly white and partly red.

Leontius attempts the doing of this, by taking the kernels or stones that are in a Fig somewhat inclinable to this variety, and wrapping them up together in a linnen cloth, and then sowing them, and when need requires, removing them into another place. If we would have

An Orenge or Citron-tree bear divers Apples of divers relishes;

Pontanus our Country-man, in his work of Gardening, hath elegantly taught us how to do it. We must take sundry seeds of them, and put them into a pitcher, and there let them grow up: and when they come forth, bind the sprigs together, and by this means they will grow up into one stock, and shrowd themselves all under one bark: but you must take heed that the wind come not at them to blow them asunder, but cover them over with some wax, that they may stick fast together; and let them be well plaistered with morter about the bark: and so shall you gather from them in time very strange Apples of sundry relishes. Likewise we may procure

A Damosin, and an Orenge or Limon to be mixt together.

In our books of Husbandry, we shewed at large, by many reasons alledged to and fro, that sundry seeds could not possibly grow into one; but all that is written in favour of this practice, is utterly false, and altogether unpossible. But this experiment we our selves have proved, whereby divers kinds of Damosins are mixt together. While the Damosin-trees were very tender and dainty, we fastened two of them together, which were planted neer to each other, as Sailers plat and tie their Cables: but first we pared off the bark to the inmost skin, in that place where they should touch together, that so one living thing might the more easily grow to the other: then we bound them up gently with thin lists, made of the inner bark of Elm, or such like stuff that is soft and pliable for such a purpose, lest they should be parted and grow asunder; and if any part of them were so limber that it would not stick fast, we wedged it in with splents; yet not too hard, for fear of spoiling it. Then we rid away the earth from the upper roots, and covered them with muck, and watered them often, that by this cherishing and tilling on, they might grow up the better: and thus after a few years that they were grown together into one tree, we cut off the tops of them about that place where they most seemed to be knit together; and about those tops there sprung up many buds; whereof, those which we perceived had grown out of both Trees, we suffered to grow still, and the rest we cut away; and by this means we produced such kind of fruit as we speak of, very goodly, and much commended. And concerning Limons, I have seen some in the Noble-mens Gardens of Naples, which, partly by continual watering at seasonable times, and partly by reason of the tendernesse and the ranknesse of the boughs, did so cling and grow together, that they became one tree; and this one Tree brought forth fruit compounded of either kind. We may also effect this featly by earthen vessels; for the plants that are set therein, we may very conveniently cherish up with continual watering, and perform other services towards them which are necessary for their growth. And as it may be done by Limons, so we have seen the same experiment practised upon Mulberry-trees, which growing in moist and shadowed places, as soon as their boughs closed one with another, presently they grew into one, and brought forth berries of sundry colours. If we would procure that

A Lettice should grow, having in it Parsley, and Rotchet, and Basil-gentle,

or any such like commixtion, we must take the dung of a Sheep or a Goat; and though it be but a small substance, yet you must make a shift to bore the Truttle through the middle, and as well as you can, get out the inmost pith, and in stead thereof put into it those seeds which you desire to have mingled together, packing them in as hard as the Truttle will bear it: and when you have so done, lay it in the ground about two handful deep, with dung and hollow geer, both under it, and round about it; then cover it with a little thin earth, and water it a little and a little; and when the seeds also are sprung forth, you must still apply them with water and dung; and after they are grown up into a stalk, you must be more diligent about them; and by this means at length there will arise a Lettice, mixed and compounded with all those seeds. Palladius prescribes the same more precisely. If you take, saith he, a Truttle of Goats dung, and bore it through, and make it hollow cunningly with a bodkin, and then fill it up with the seed of Lettice, Cresses, Basil, Rotchet, and Radish, and when you have so done, lap them up in more of the same dung, and bury them in a little trench of such ground as is fruitful and well manured for such a purpose, the Radish will grow downward into a Root, the other seeds will grow upward into a stalk, and the Lettice will contain them all, yeelding the several relish of every one of them. Others effect this experiment on this manner. They pluck off the Lettice leaves that grow next to the root, and make holes in the thickest substance and veins thereof, one hole being a reasonable distance from the other; wherein they put the forenamed seeds, all but the Radish seed, and cover them about with dung, and then lay them under the ground, whereby the Lettice grows up, garded with the stalks of so many herbs as there were seeds put into the leaves. If you would procure

Party-coloured flowers to grow;

you may effect it by the same ground and principle. You must take the seeds of divers kinds of flowers; and when you have bound them up in a Linen cloth, set them in the ground, and by the commixtion of those seeds together, you shall have flowers that are party-coloured. By this means, it is thought that Daisies of divers kinds were first brought forth, such as are to be seen with golden leaves, reddish about the edge; nay some of them are so meddled with divers colours, that they resemble little shreds of silk patcht together.

CHAP. VI.

How a double fruit may be made, whereof the one is contained within the other.

THere is also another way of Composition, whereby fruits may be so meddled together, not as we shewed before, that one part of it should be of one fruit, and the other part of another kinde; nor yet that one and the same bough shall at once bear two or three several kinds of fruits; but that one and the same fruit shall be double, containing in it self two several kinds, as if they were but one; whereof I my self have first made trial. But let us see how the Ancients have effected this: and first

How to make an Olive-grape.

Diophanes sheweth that the Olive being engraffed into the Vine, brings forth a fruit called Elaeo-staphylon, that is to say, an Olive-grape. But Florentinus in the eleventh book of his Georgicks, hath shewed the manner how to engraffe the Olive into a Vine, that so it shall bring forth not only bunches or clusters of grapes, but an Olive fruit also. We must bore a hole through the Vine neer to the ground, and put into it the branch of an Olive-tree, that so it may draw and receive both from the Vine, sweetnesse; and also from the ground, natural juice and moisture, whereby it may be nourished: for so will the fruit taste pleasantly. And moreover, if, while the Vine hath not yet born fruit, you take the fruitful sprigs thereof, and plant them elsewhere, these sprigs will retain the mixture and composition of the Vine and the Olive-tree together, and bring forth one fruit that shall have in it both kinds, which therefore is called by a name compounded of both their names, Eleo-staphylus, an Olive-grape. He reports that he saw such a tree in the Orchard of Marius Maximus; and tasting the fruit thereof, he thought with himself that he felt the relish of an Olive-berrie and a grape kernel both together. He writes also that such plants grow in Africa, and are there called by a proper name in their Country language Ubolima. But we must set props under them, to bear up the weight and burden of the boughs: though if we engraffe them any other way but this, we shall need no polls at all. I suppose also that by this self-same means it may be effected,

That a Grape should have Myrtle in it.

Tarentinus writes, that the Vine may be engraffed into the Myrtle-tree, and the Vine-branches thereon engraffed, will bring forth grapes that have Myrtle-berries growing underneath them. But the manner of this engraffing he hath not set down. If you engraffe the Vine-branches in the higher boughs or arms of the Mrytle, then they will bring forth grapes after their ordinary manner, not having any Myrtle in them: but if you engraffe them as she shewed before, neer to the ground, as the Olive-tree must be into the Vine, then you may produce Myrtle-grapes, though not without some difficulty. We may likewise produce

Damosins that shall be of the colour of Nuts;

for such kind of fruit were produced by the Ancients, and called Nucipruna, that is, Nut-Damosins, as Pliny reporteth. It is a peculiar property of these fruits that are engraffed into Nut-trees, that they are in colour like to their own kinde, but in taste like unto Nuts; being therefore called by a mixt name, Nuci-pruna. So there may be produced, as the same Pliny writes,

Damosins that have sweet Almonds within them.

There is, saith he, in this kind of fruit an Almond-kernel, neither can there be any prettier double fruit devised. The same Pliny reports also, that there is a kind of

Damosin that hath in it the substance of an Apple,

which of late was called by the Spaniards Malina, which cometh of a Damosin engraffed into an Apple-tree. There is also a kind of fruit called by the Apothecaries Sebesten, or

Mixa, which hath in it a sweet Almond.

This same Mixa is a kind of Damosin, which differs from all others; for whereas others have a bitter Almond or kernel within their stone, this only hath a sweet kernel. It is a plant peculiar to Syria and Egypt, though in Plinies time it was common in Italy, and was engraffed in the Service-tree, whereby the kernel was the pleasanter. They engraffed it into the Service-tree, likely for this cause, that whereas the fruit of it self would make a man laxative, the sharp taste of the Service being mixed with it, might cause it to be more binding. But now we will shew

How to produce an Almond peach, which outwardly is a Peach, but within hath an Almond-kernel.

The former means producing double fruits, which the Ancients have recorded, are but vain fables; not only false matters, but indeed impossible to be so done: for, we shewed in the book of Husbandry, if you engraffe the Vine into the Myrtle, there will be no such fruit brought forth after that manner. Besides, it is impossible to engraffe the Olive-tree into the Vine; or if it were engraffed, yet would it not bring forth any such grapes. Pliny speaks of Apple-damosins, and Nut-damosins; but he sheweth not the manner how they may be produced; happily, because it was never seen nor known. But we will demonstrate the manner of it to the whole world, by this example: this fruit is called an Almond-Peach by the late Writers, because it bears in it self the nature, both of the Almond and the Peach compounded together. And it is a new kind of Adultery or commixtion, wrought by skill and diligence used in graffing; such a fruit as was never heard of in former ages, partaking both of the shape, and also of the qualities of either parent: outwardly it resembles the Peach both in shape and colour; but inwardly it hath a sweet Almond within the kernel, that both looks and tastes like an Almond; and so is the Tree also a middle betwixt the Almond-tree and the Peach-tree, outwardly like the Peach-tree, and inwardly like the Almond-tree. The manner of engraffing is, by clapping the bud of one upon the bud of another; either upon one of the trees that bare one of the buds, or else setting them both into a third tree, as we have done when the Trees have been old. We may also go farther, and upon that branch wherein those two buds grow up together, we may set a third bud, and so the fruit will be threefold. These trees we had growing in our own Orchards many years together. By this self-same means we may produce a very strange Apple; the wonderfulnesse whereof will ravish our senses and our thoughts; namely

A Citron that hath a Limon in the inner parts:

and this, I say, we may produce by laying the bud of a Citron upon the bud of a Limon. And the most of those kinds are to be found among the Brutii, a people dwelling neer Naples, and the Surrentines in Campania; and these fruits proceed from the tart juice that is within the branch. In like manner

A double Orenge may be produced;

which kind of fruit is common with us, wherein are double ranks of kernels in such rare proportion, that you would wonder and be amazed to see.

CHAP. VII.

Of another device, whereby strange fruits may be generated, and made either better or worse.

COncerning the praises and excellency of engraffing, we have spoken elsewhere more at large: Here it shall suffice onely to shew, that by engraffing, new fruits may be produced, some better, and some worse then their ordinary kinds. We will relate some experiments of our own, and some which the Antients have found out. And first

How to produce a Chest-nut of the best.

There is one rare example hereof not to be omitted. Corellius, a Noble-man of Rome, born at the City Ateste, engraffed a Chest-nut upon a Chest-nut branch, in the Country of Naples, and so produced a Chest-nut called Corelliana, after his name. After that, his Heir, whom he made a Free-man, graffed the same Corelliana upon another Tree: the difference betwixt them both is this, that the former is a larger Chest-nut, but this latter is a better fruit. These things have been done by the Ancients: and the good that cometh by engraffing is such, as that if any thing be engraffed into a stock or branch of its own kind, the fruit will thereby be made better. The Cherry-tree is very kindly to be engraffed: and you shall scarce ever have a good and a sweet Cherry, unlesse it be by engraffing upon some other Tree, as Pamphilus reporteth. By the president of this example, we have endeavoured to change

The Barbery-Tree into the Tree called Tuber:

fo[…] I take it, that the Oxyacantha, or the Barbery-tree, is nothing else but a bastard, or a wild Tuber: and therefore if a man follow that example of Corellius, and engraffe the Oxyacantha oftentimes into the own branch or stock, it will be much bettered, and become the Tuber-tree: as also on the other side, the Tuber-tree, if it be not dressed and looked unto, doth degenerate into the Barbery-tree. I my self have engraffed it three or four times into the branches of its own kind, in my own Orchard; and if I live so long, I will still engraffe it so, till it do bring forth Tubers; for I find that it brings forth already, both greater and sweeter berries. Now we will speak of such fruits, as are engraffed not into their own branches, but into branches of another kind, which contain in them both the fashion and the properties of either kind: and we will teach the manner how to compound a new kind of fruit lately devised, namely

A Peach-nut, mixed of a Nut and a Peach.

There is a kind of Peach called a Peach-nut, which the Ancients never knew of, but hath lately been produced by pains taken in graffing, as I my self have seen. It bears the name and the form also of both the parents whereof it is generated, having a green colour like a Nut, and hath no mossie down on the out-side, but very smooth all over; the taste of it is sharp and somewhat bitter; it is long ere it be ripe, and is of a hard substance like a Peach. That part of it which lies against the Sun is reddish; it smells very well; it hath within, a rough stone, and hard like a Peach-stone; it hath a pleasant relish; but the apple will not last so long as the Nut, or kernel within. Which kind of fruit cannot be supposed to have been otherwise brought forth then by divers engraffings of the Peach into the Nut-tree, one year after another. We may also better the fruits by engraffing them into better Trees. Diophanes produced

Citron-apples compounded of an Apple and a Citron.

for he engraffed an Apple into the Citron-tree, and that oftentimes; but it withered as soon as ever it did shoot forth: howbeit, at length it took fast hold, and became a Citron-apple-tree. Anatolius and Diophanes made a compound fruit called

Melimela, of an Apple and a Quince mixt together;

for if we engraffe an Apple into a Quince-tree, the Tree will yield a very goodly apple, which the Athenians call Melimelum, but we call it a St. Johns Apple. Pliny writes, that an ordinary Quince, and a Quince-pear being compounded,

Produce a fruit called Milviana.

The Quince, saith he, being engraffed into a Quince-pear, yieldeth a kind of fruit called Milvianum, which alone of all other Quinces is to be eaten raw. Now as we have shewed how to make fruits better by engraffing, both for shew and for properties, we will declare also, how by engraffing

Fruits may be made worse.

We will shew it first by a Pear. Marcus Varro saith, that if you engraffe a very good Pear into a wilde Pear-tree, it will not taste so well as that which is engraffed into an Orchard Pear-tree. If you engraffe a Peach into a Damosin-tree, the fruit of it will be much less: if into a bitter Almond-tree, the fruit will have a bitter relish. Likewise if you graffe a Chest-nut into a Willow, and be somewhat a latter fruit, the taste of it will be more bitter. And so if you graffe an apple into a Damosin-tree, the fruit which it yields, will neither be so great, nor yet so good, as it is in the own kind.