(879)
carefully covered with some soft wax (as is known) to defend it from the rain. It is to be stopp'd, and order'd in all things, as in other Inoculations
To the 17th.The arms of the roots of trees are to be cut for the advantage of their growth, according to the proportion they have to their Head and Body; or according to the design you have to encrease Wood or Fruit. For such roots as are more outward, feed Wood, such as are inward, the Fruit; as is above supposed.
To the 18th.The Depth of Trees to be set, should never be below the reach of the Suns heat, nor the goodness of the mould, and rather too shallow than too deep; forasmuch as they are apter to sink lower, than to raise themselves upwards, if they be out of the convenient reach of the Suns heat, the cause of pulsion and nourishment.
To the 19th.The Seeds of the Firr, Pine, &c. which bring up the shells of their seeds upon the heads of the first shoot, will either not grow at all, or difficultly, if the blunt end be put downwards, because in that posture it must turn it self, before it can emerge into the air; for the root is shot downwards at the sharp end. But it may very well grow, if set Horizontally.
To the 20th.Such Trees, as were mention'd formerly in the Answer to the first Querie, may grow, though no part of the Root be in the earth. And all such, as may be propagated by short sticks, cut off at both ends, and laid in the ground, as Mulberries, will do so. Some young plants, if their heads be kept moist, will live all Winter, if mild, though their roots be in the air, as I tryed in Seedlings of Apples and Crabs. Their roots, set afterwards in the Spring, grew and lived. The reason why some Plants grow in sticks, may be the softness of such wood, apt thereby to receive nourishment like a root, and to shoot out roots and fibres from themselves. But in some slips, taken from firmer-wooded trees, as Bayes, a moist temperate season is to be observ'd, and some stone, or chip of some wood to be closed to the-end of the slip, and set in the earth with it, which helps its rooting.
