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Show A Difcourfe of Foreft-Trees. Chap.XVI. many other pretty refemblances. Laftly, ofthe mhitef part‘of the old Wood, found commonlyin doating Birches, is made the groundsof our Gallants fwrect-Powder 5 and of the quite es and rotten , fuch 2s we find reduc'd to a kind of reddifh Bart in Jfuperexannuated hollow-trees, is gotten the beft Mould for the raifing of divers Seedlings of the rareft Plants andFlomers 5 to fay nothing here of the Magifterial Fa/ces, for which antiently the €udgels wereus'd by the Lidor 5 asnow the gentler Rods by our tyrannical Pedagognes. ie I fhould hore add the wfes of the Water too, had I full pete miflion to tamperwith all the Medicinal virtues of Trees : Butif the fovereign effects of the Juice of this defpicable Tree fupply its other defects ( which makes fome judge it unworthyto be brought into the Catalogue of Woods tobe propagated) I may for once be permitted to play the Empiric, and to gratifie our laborious Wood: man with a Draught of his own Liquor : And the rather 5 becaufe thefe kind of Secrets are not yet fufficiently cultivated ; and ingenious Planters would by all means be encourag’d to make more frials of this nature, asthe Ivdiams , and other Nations have done on their Palmes, and Trees of feveral kinds > to their great emolument. The AGftery is no more than this : About “tiie, the beginning of Asarch (whenthe Buds begin to be proud and turgid ). witha Chizel and a Mallet, cur a flit almoft as deep as the very Pith, under.fome bongh, or branch-of a well {preading Birchs cut it oblique, and not long-wayes (as a good Chirurgion would make his orifice ina Vein) inferting a {mall fone ox chip, to keep the Lips of the wound a little open : Sir Hugh Plat, giving a general Rule for the gathering of Sap, and Tapping of Trees ; would haveit done within one toot of the ground, the firlt ried taken off, and then the:white Bark {lit overthwart, no farther themto the Body of the Tree’: Moreover , that this. woxued be made onelyin that part of the bark which refpedts the South meft, or between thofe quarters ; becaufe (lays he) little, or no Sap rifeth fromthe Northern, In this /lit, by the help of your knifeto open it, he direétsthat a leaf ofthe Tree be infer ted; firft fitted tothe dimenfions of theflit, from which the Sap will.diftil in manner of filtration : Take awaythe leaf, and the bark will clofe again; a little Earth being clapped tothe flit: Thus the Kzight for any. tree : But we havealready fhew'd howthe Birch js tebe treat: ed: Faften therefore a Bottle, or {ome {uch convenient Veffelappendant: This does the effect as well as perforation or tapping : Out of this aperture will extil alimpid and clear Water; retaining an obfcure {mack both of the taft and. odor ofthe Trees, and which (asham crediblyinform’d ) will in the {pace of tme(ve,or Jourteen dayes preponderate,and out-weigh Body, and Hoots; whichif it be conftant, the whole Treeit {elf} and Johappen likewife inother trees , is not onely ftupendious, but an experiment worthy the Confideration of our profoundeft Philofophers : am ex [ela aqua fiunt Arbores 2 whether Water only be the: Principle: of Vegetables, Chap.XVI. A Difcourfe of Forett-Trees, Vegetables, and confequently of trees we know of notree which does more + For evidentit is, that fo much celebrated Spirit of the Worl copioufly attract, beit that d (as theycall it ) in Form of Water (as fome) ora certa in Specifique liquor richly ivepregnated with this Balfamical property : That there is fuch a Magnes in this fimple tree as does manifeft ly draw to it felf fome occult and wonderful virtue, is notorious ; noris it conceivable, indeed, the difference between the efficacy ofthat Liquor which diftil!s from the bole , or parts of the free neerer Hugh would celebrate the Incifion) and to the Root (where Sir the more fublime Branches , more imprthat which weeps out from Vertue, as not’ fo near the Reot , whic egnated with this Aftral h {eems to attract rather a cruder and more common water » through fewer ffraivers > and neither fo pure and Aérial as in thof e refi nature of the places where thefe trees deli ned percolations , the ght to grow (for the moft part lofty, dry, and barren) confider'd, But I refer thefe Difquifitions to the Learned ; efpecially , asmentiond by that incomparable Philofopher , and my moft noble Friend, the honourable Mr. Boyle, in his Second part of the Philofophy Sect, x. Effay 3%. where he {peaks ofufefulneffe of Neturat the Atanna delCorpo, or Trank- Manna, as well as of that Liqu or from the bough 5 fo of the Sura which the Coco-trees afford; and that Polonian{ecret of the Liquorof the WaUnut-tree Root; with an encouragement ofmore frequent Experime nts to educe Saccharine occafions : But the Book being publith’d fubftances upon thefe courfe wasfirft ready, I have onely here fo long fince this DiReader to one of the beft Entertainments theliberty to refer the 4. But whilft this Second Edition is now in the world, comes tome divers Papers upon this fabjeiunder my hand, there by aworthy Friend of mine, a Learned experimentally made Perfon, which ihad here once refolv'd to and moft induftrious have publifh’d, according to the generous liber ty granted me for fo ftanding he was ftillin purtuit of that “eful doing; but underl, and curious Secret , Ichang’d my refolution into an earneft addr efle > that he would communicate it to the World himfelf, together with thofe other excellent Enquiries,and obfervations whic h heis adorning for the benefit of Planters, dnd fuch as delight them cent Rufficities. I will onely by way of felves in thofe innoCorolerie, hint fome particulars for fati sfaGion of the Curious; and efpecially that Wwe may in fomefort gratifie thofe earne ft Sugge of the moft obliging Publither of the Philo ftions and Queries to whole indefatigable pains the Learned fophical Tranfattions, World is infinitely engag’d. In compliance therefore tohis Queries, Monday Ofob. 19. 1668. Numb. 40, p. 797, 82 1,@c. thele Gene rals are fubmitted = That in fach Trials as my Friend eflai’d, he hasn ot yet encountred with any Sap but whatis veryclear and fweet; e{pecially that of the Sycomor,whic h has a dulcoratien as if mixed with Suga r, and that it runs one of the earlieft : That the Maple diftill'd when quite refcinded fromthe Body , and even whilft he yet held it in his t hand ; 73 |
