Chap. 4. Of Roots.
- 1. OF Roots chuse such as are neither rot∣ten nor wormeaten, but proper in their rast, colour, and smell, such as exceed neither in softness nor hardness.
- 2. Give me leave to be a little critical a∣gainst
the Vulgar received Opinion, which
is, That the Sap falls down into the Root in
Autumn, and rises again in Spring, as men
go to Bed at night and rise in the morning;
and this idle tale of untruth is so grounded in
the Heads not only of the Vulgar but also of
the Learned, that a man cannot drive it out by
Reason: I pray let such Sap-mongers answer
me to this Argument, If the Sap fall into the
Root in the fall of the Leaf, and lie there all
the Winter, then must the Root grow only in
the Winter, as experience witnesseth, but the
Root grows not at all in the Winter, as the
sa••c experience teacheth, but only in the
Summer. Ergo,
If you set an Apple Kernel in the Spring, you shall find the Root to grow to a pretty bigness in that Summer, and be not a whit bigger next Spring: What doth the Sap do in the Root all that while? pick straws? For God's sake build not your faith upon Traditi∣on, 'tis as rotten as a rotten Post.
The truth is, when the Sun declines from the Tropick of Cancer, the Sap begins to congeal both in Root and Branch, when he toucheth the Tropick of Capricorn and ascends to us ward, it begins to wax thin again, and by de∣grees as it congealed: But to proceed:
- 3. The dryer time you gather your Roots in the better they are•• for they have the less ex∣crementitious moisture in then.
- 4. Such Roots as are soft, your best way is to dry in the Sun, or else hang them up in the Chimney corner upon a string; as for such as are hard you may dry them any where.
- 5. Such Roots as are great will keep longer than such as are small, yet most of them will keep a yeer.
- 6. Such Roots as are soft it is your best way to keep them alwaies neer the fire, and take this general Rule, If in Winter time you find any of your Roots, Herbs or Flowers begin to grow moist, as many times you shall, especial∣ly in the Winter time (for 'tis your best way to look to them once a month) dry them by a very gentle fire, or if you can with conveni∣ence keep them neer the fire, you may save your self the labor.
- 7. It is in vain to dry such Roots as may commonly be had, as Parsly, Fennel, Plan∣tane &c. but gather them only for present need.