Bacon, Francis, Sylva sylvarum : or, a natural history in ten centuries

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143109Century VI. the coloured are more juyced, and courſer juyced; and therefore not ſo
well and equally concocted, but the white are better proportioned to the
diſgeſtion of the Plant.
Butin Fruits. the white commonly is meaner, as in Pear-Plumbs, Damo-
11509. ſins, &
c. and the choiceſt Plumbs are black; the Mulberry, (which though
they call it a Berry, is a Fruit) is better the Black, than the White.
The
Harveſt White-Plumb, is a baſe Plumb, and the Verdoccio and White Date-
Plumb, are no very good Plumbs.
The cauſe is, for that they are all
over-watry:
Where as an higher Concoction is required for ſweetneſs, or
pleaſure of taſte;
and therefore all your dainty Plumbs, are a little dry,
and come from the Stone;
as the Muskle-Plumb, the Damoſin-Plumb, the
Peach, the Apricot, &
c. Yet ſome Fruits which grow not to be Black,
are of the Nature of Berries, ſweeteſtſuch as are paler, as the Cæur-Cherry,
which inclineth more to White, is ſweeter than the Red;
but the Egriot is
more ſowre.
Take Gilliſtowers Seed, of one kinde of Gilliflowers (as of the Clove-Gilli-
22510. flower which is the moſt common) and ſow it, and there will come up
Gilliflowers, ſome of one colour, and ſome of another, caſually, as the
Seed meeteth with nouriſhment in the Earth:
So that the Gardiners finde,
that they may have two or three Roots amongſt an hundred that are rare,
and of great price, as Purple Carnation of ſeveral ſtripes.
The cauſe is (no
doubt) that in Earth, though it be contiguous, and in one Bed there are very
ſeveral Juyces;
and as the Seed doth caſually meetwith them, ſo it cometh
forth.
And it is noted eſpecially, that thoſe which do come up Purple, do
always come up ſingle;
the Juyce, as it ſeemeth, not being able to ſuffice a
ſucculent colour, and a double Leaf.
This Experiment of ſeveral colours,
coming up from one Seed, would be tryed alſo in Larks-foot, Monk-hood,
Poppy, and Hollioak.
Few Fruits are coloured Red within; the Queen-Apple is, and another
33511. Apple, called the Roſe-Apple;
Mulberries likewiſe, and Grapes, though moſt to-
ward the skin.
There is a Peach alſo, that hath a circle of Red to wards the
ſtone;
and the Fgriot-Cherry is ſomewhat Red within: But no Pear, nor
Warden, nor Plumb, nor Apricot, although they have (many times) Red
ſides, are coloured Red within.
The cauſe may be enquired.
The general colour of Planis is Green, which is a colour that no Flower
44512. is of.
There is a greeniſh Prime-Roſe, but it is pale, and ſcarce a green; the
Leaves of ſome Trees turn a little Murrey or Reddiſh, and they be com-
monly young Leaves that do ſo;
as it is in Oaks and Vines. And Haſle-
Leaves rot into a Yellow;
and ſome Hollies had part of their Leaves Yellow,
that are (to all ſeeming) as freſh and ſhining as the Green.
I ſuppoſe alſo,
that Yellow is a leſs ſucculent colour than Green, and a degree nearer
White.
For it hath been noted, that thoſe Yellow Leaves of Holly, ſtand
ever to ward the North or North-Eaſt.
Some Roots are Yellow, as Carrets;
and ſome Planis, Blood-red, Stalk and Leaf, and all; as Amaranthus. Some
Herbs incline to Purple and Red;
as a kinde of Sage doth, and a kinde of
Mint, and Roſa Solis, &
c. And ſome have White Leaves, as another kinde
of Sage, and another kinde of Mint:
But Azure and a fair Purple are
never found in Leaves.
This ſheweth, that Flowers are made of a refined
Juyce of the Earth, and ſo are Fruits, but Leaves of a more courſe and
common.
It is a curioſity alſo to make Flowers double, which is effected by often
55513. removing them into new Earth;
as on the contrary part, double

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