4 Agric. ↳ 2: c. 6. fecurity of the Seed, whilft it hangs upon the Plant; but after it is mature and fallen upon the Earth, for the ftercoration of the Soil, and promotion of the growth, though not the firft germination of the Seminal Plant. Hence (as * Petrus de Crefcentiis tells us) Husbandmen to make thir Vines bear, manure them with Vine-leaves, or the Husks of expreft Grapes, and they obferve those to be the moft fruitful, which are fo manured with their own: Which Obfervation holds true alfo in all other Trees and Herbs. But befides this use of the Pulp or Pericarpium, for the guard and benefit of the Seed, it ferves alfo by a fecondary intention of Nature in many Fruits for the Food and Suftenance of Man and other Animals. Another thing worthy the noting in Seeds, and argumentative of Providence and Design, is that pappofe Plumage growing upon the tops of fome of them, whereby they are capable of being wafted with the Wind, and by that means fcatter'd and diffeminated far and wide. Furthermore, moft Seeds having in them a Seminal Plant perfectly form'd, as the Young is in the Womb of Animals, the elegant Complication thereof in fome Species is a very pleafant and admirable Spectacle; fo that no Man that hath a Soul in him can imagine or believe it was fo form'd and folded up without Wifdom and Providence. But of this I have fpoken already. Laftly, Laftly, The immenfe fmalnefs of fome Seeds, not to be feen by the naked Eye, fo that the number of Seeds produced at once in fome one Plant; as for example, Reedmace [Tipha Paluftris] Harts-Tongue, and many forts of Ferns, may amount to a Million, is a convincing Argument of the infinite Understanding and Art of the Former of them. And it is remarkable that fuch Moses as grow upon Walls, the Roofs of Houses and other high places, have Seeds fo exceffively small, that when shaken out of their Veffels they appear like Vapour or Smoke, fo that they may either afcend of themselves, or by an eafie impulfe of the Wind be rais'd up to the tops of Houfes, Walls or Rocks: And we need not wonder how the Moffes got thither, or imagine they sprung up spontaneoufly there. I might alfo take notice of many other particulars concerning Vegetables, as First, That because they are defign'd for the Food of Animals, therefore Nature hath taken more extraordinary Care, and made more abundant Provifion for their propagation and encrease; fo that they are multiplied and propagated not only by the Seed, but many alfo by the Root, producing Off-fets or creeping under Ground, many by Strings or Wires running above Ground, as Strawberry and the like, fome by Slips or Cuttings, and fome by feveral of thefe Ways. And for the fecurity of fuch Species as are produc'd only by Seed, it hath endued all Seed with a lafting Vitality, that fo if by reason of exceffive exceffive cold, or drought, or any other accident, it happen not to germinate the first Year, it will continue its foecundity, I do not say two or three, nor fix or feven, but even twenty or thirty Years; and when the Impediment is remov'd, the Earth in fit cafe, and the Seafon proper, fpring up, bear Fruit, and continue its Species. Hence it is that Plants are fometimes loft for a while in places where they formerly abounded; and again, after fome Years, appear new loft either because the Springs were not proper for their germination, or because the Land was fallow'd, or because plenty of Weeds or other Herbs prevented their coming up, and the like: and appearing again when thefe Impediments are remov'd. Secondly, That fome forts of Plants, as Vines, all forts of Pulfe, Hops, Briony, all Pomiferous Herbs, Pumpions, Melons, Gourds, Cucumbers, and divers other Species, that are weak and unable to raise or support themselves, are either endued with a faculty of twining about others that are near, or elfe furnish'd with Claspers and Tendrils, whereby, as it were with Hands, they catch hold of them, and fo ramping upon Trees, Shrubs, Hedges or Poles, they mount up to a great height, and fecure themselves and their Fruit. Thirdly, That others are arm'd with Prickles and Thorns, to fecure them from the browsing of Beafts, as alfo to shelter others that grow under them. Moreover they are. hereby render'd very ufeful to Man, as if defign'd by Nature to inake both Quick and Dead Hedges Hedges and Fences. The great Naturalift Pliny hath given an ingenious Account of the Providence and Defign of Nature in thus arming and fencing them in thefe Words. Inde (fpeaking of Nature) excogitavit aliquas afpectu hifpidas, tactu truces, ut tantùm non vocem ipfius Natura fingentis illas, rationemque reddentis exaudire videamur, ne fe depafcat avida quadrupes, ne procaces manus rapiant, ne neglecta veftigia obterant, ne infidens ales infringat; his muniendo aculeis telifque armando, remediis ut falva ac tuta fint. Ità boc quoque quod in iis odimus hominum causa excogitatum eft. It is worthy the noting, That Wheat which is the best fort of Grain, of which the pureft, moft favory and wholefome Bread is made, is patient of both Extreams, heat and cold, growing and bringing its Seed to maturity, not only in temperate Countries, but alfo on one hand in the Cold and Northern, viz. Scotland, Denmark, &c. on the other, in the hottest and most Southerly, as Egypt, Barbary, Mauritania, the Eaft-Indies, Guinea, Madagascar, &c. fcarce refufing any Climate. Nor is it lefs obfervable, and not to be commemorated without Acknowledgment of the Divine Benignity to us, that (as Pliny rightly notes) nothing is more fruitful than Wheat, Quod ei natura (faith he) [rectius natura Parens] tribuit, quòd eo maximè hominem alit, utpote cùmè modio, fi & aptum folum, quale in Byzacio Africa campo centeni quinquaginta modii reddentur. Mifit ex eo loco Divo Augufto procu rator rator ejus ex uno grano (vix credible dictu) 400 paucis minus germina: Mifit & Neroni fimiliter 360 flipulas ex uno grano. "Which fertility "Nature (he fhould have faid, the Author of Nature) hath confer'd upon it, because it feeds Man chiefly with it. One Bufhel, if sown "in a fit and proper Soil, fuch as is Byzacium, ' a Field of Africa, yielding 150 of annual "encreafe; Auguftus's Procurator fent him "from that place 4co within a few Blades fpringing from the fame Grain: And to Ne ro were fent thence 360. If Pliny a Heathen could make this fertility of Wheat argumentative of the Bounty of God to Man, making fuch plentiful Provifion for him of that which is of moft pleasant taste and wholesom nourishment, furely it ought not to be pafled over by us Chriftians without notice taking and thanksgiving. * Dr. More As for the Signatures of Plants or the Notes impreffed upon them as Indices of their Virtues, tho' fome lay great stress upon them, accounting them ftrong Ar- Antid. I. 2. c. guments to prove that fome Un- 6. derstanding Principle is the higheft Original of the Works of Nature; as indeed they were, could it certainly be made appear that there were fuch marks defignedly fet upon them; because all that I find mention'd and collected by Authors,feem to me to be rather fancied by Men, than defign'd by Nature to fignifie or point out any fuch Vertues or Qualities as they would make us believe. I have elsewhere, I think I uj on |
