A 



the hypothefis cf the variable winds being the caufe 

 of thcfc variations of the height of the mercury ; for 

 in the places above-named, there is always an eafy gale 

 of wind, blowing nearly upon the fame point, viz. 

 E. N. E. at Barbadoes, and E. S. E. at St. Helena ; 

 fo that there being no contrary currents of the air to 

 exhauft or accumulate it, the atmofphere continues 

 much in the fame flate. 

 Mr. Patrick gives us the followincr rules and obfer- 



vations for the rifing and falling of the mercury, in 

 order to foreknow the weather by the barometer. 



1. It has been obferved, that the motion of the mer- 

 cury does not exceed three inches in its rifing or fall- 

 ing in the barometer of the common form. 



2. That its leafl: alterations are to be minded, in or- 

 der to the right finding of the weather by it. 



The rifmgof the mercury prefages in general fair 



foul, as rain, fnow, high 



3- 



weather. 



and its 



falling. 



winds, and ftorms. 



4. In very hot weather, the falling of the mercury 



forclliews thunder. 



5. In winter, the rifing of the mercury prefages froft j 

 and in frolly weather, if the mercury falls three or 

 four degrees, there will certainly follow a thaw ; but 

 if the mercury rifes in a continued froft, it will cer- 

 tainly fnow. 



6. When foul weather happens foon after the falling 

 of the mercury, you may exped but little of it j and 

 you may judge the fame, when the weather proves 

 fairfliortly after the mercury has rifen. 



7 



Whe 



s 



much and high in foul 



weather, and continues fo for two or three days before 

 the foul weather is over, you may expeft a continu- 

 ance of fair weather to follow. 



8. When the mercury falls much and low in fair 

 weather, and continues fo for two or three days be- 

 fore the rain comes, then you may expeft agreat deal 

 of wet, and probably high winds. 



9. Theunfettled motion of the mercury denotes un- 

 certain and changeable weather. 



10. You are not fo fl:rid:ly to mind the words engraven 

 on the plates, though for the moft part they will 

 agree with them, as the rifing and falling of the mer- 

 cury i for if it ftands at much rain, and rifes up to 

 changeable, it prefages fair weather, although not 

 to continue fo long as it would have done, if the 

 mercury were higher, and fo on the contrary. 

 Thefe rules and obfervations are fufficient to inftrufl 

 perfons who are unacquainted with this inftrument, 

 how to make their obfervations ; and with conftantly 

 remarking what alterations happen in the weather on 

 the variations of the mercury, a perfon may nearly 

 predift the great alterations of the weather a day or 



■ two before they happen, which is frequently of great 

 life to the gardener and farmer, but particularly to 

 the latter, who may begin to mow his grafs when he 



• finds there is a profpeCt of fair weather, or poftpone 

 it a few days until he forefees a likelihood of fuch. 

 The fame alfo may be of great moment in reaping 

 his corn, as alfo in fowing his grain, and moft of his 

 other bufinefs. Therefore the ufe of this inftrument 

 Ihould be more generally known by the praftical far- 



mer and gardener. 



M 



See Triumfetta. 



The Characters are, 



■D 



Malabar 



/ 



empalemenl ; 



/ 



fle/Jjy at lie bafe and fwelling^ but clofed toi, 

 , where it is divided into fix parts^ two of u 



It haih five awl-fl. 



ere larger than the others, 

 ftamina-, which are eqitaU fajlcncd to the petals crowned 

 with roundijJo fummits. The globular germen, which is 

 fttuated in the center, fupports three /tender ftyles^ crowned 

 by oblong ft igma. The petal of the fewer remains, and 

 indofes a rcundifj /fby berry ^ incbding one round feed.^ 

 This"o;enus of plants is ranged in the third feftion 

 .inn:...us's fifth clafs, entitled Pentanefria Trigynia, 

 the liowcr having five ft'amina and tlu'ee ftyles. 

 The Specils 



of I 





Ip 



Basella {Kdra) fuhis planis, pedunculis fimplici- 



bu5. Lin. Sp. 390. BafeUa with plain leaves and fmrpU 

 foot-ftalksi Cufcuta foliis fubcordatis, liort. ""CLff. 

 39. Climbing l^ightfhade, , 



2. Basella {Alha) foliis ovatis undatis, pedunculis fim- 

 pHcibus folio longioribus. Lin. Sp. 390. Bafellawith 

 oval waved leaves, and fvot-ftalks longer than the leaf . 

 Bafella Sinica, foliis & caulibus viridibus minus fitc- 

 culentibus fruftu minore; Jufi!^ 



The firft fort has thick, ftrong, fucculcnt (talks and 

 leaves, which are of a deep purple colour. The 

 plant requires to be fupported, for it will climb to the 

 height of eight or ten feet, when the plants are kept 

 in a ftove or glafs-cafe, and produce a great number 

 of fide branches : but if they arc expofed to the open 

 air, they will not grow fo large, nor will they perfect 

 their feeds, except it be in very warm feafons •, when 

 they are placed in the bark-ftove, they will often li^'e 

 through the winter, and produce great quantities of 

 flowers and feeds. The flowers of this plant have 

 no great beauty, but the plant is preferved for the odd 

 appearance of the ftalks and leaves. 

 The feeds of the fecond fort I received from Dr. 

 Juflieu of Paris, from whence I have obtained two 

 varieties ; one of which hath purple ftalks and leaves, 

 and the other hath leaves variegated with white ; but 

 both of them retain their fmall ftalks, and oblong 

 flaccid leaves, fmaller flowers and fruit, in which 

 they efltntially differ from the firft. 

 Thefe plants are propagated by feeds, which fliould 

 be fown in a hot-bed in the fpring ; and when the 

 plants are fit to remove^ they fhould be each planted 

 into a feparate pot filled with rich earth, and plunged 

 into the tan-bed, where they muft be treated in the 

 fame manner as other tender exotics. They may alfo 

 be propagated by cuttings, which ftiould be laid to 

 dry a day or two after they are taken from the plants, 

 before they are planted, that the wound may heal, 

 otherwife they will rot. Thefe cuttings muft be plant- 

 ed into pots filled with light frefh earth, and plunged 

 into a moderate hot-bed of tanners bark,^ where they 

 will take root in a fortnight or three weeks time, when 

 they fliould be treated in the fame manner as the feed- 

 ling plants. But as thefe rife fo eafily from feeds, it 

 is feldom they are propagated any other way, becaufe 

 they are plants of fliort duration. Thefe flower from 

 June to autumn, and the feeds ripen in September 

 and December. 



Thefe plants will climb to a confiderable height, and 

 fend forth a great number of branches, fo that they 

 fhould have a place near the back of the ftove, where 

 they may be trained up to a trellife, or faftened to the 

 back of the ftove, otherwife they will twift them- 

 felves about whatever plants ftand near them, and 

 be very injurious to the other plants ; wliereas, when 

 they are regularly trained to a trellife, they will have 

 a good effeft in adding to the variety. 

 From the berries of the firft fort, I have feen a beau- 

 tiful colour drawn, but when ufed for painting, did 

 not continue very long, but changed to a pale colour ; 

 though I believe there might be a method invented, 

 whereby this beautiful colour might be fixed, fo as to 

 ' become very ufeful j for I have been afllired, that 

 the juice of thefe berries has been ufed for ftaining 

 of calhcoes in India, 



M 



See OcYMUM. 



BASONS or fountains, &c. which ferve either for 

 the ornament or ufe of gardens, are made in divers 

 forms, fome round, fome oblong or oval, others 

 fquare, oftangular, &:c. but their riioft corhmon form 

 is circular ; and, if the ground will permit, the larger 

 they are the better ; and when they exceed in fize, 

 they are called pieces of water, canals, filh ponds, 

 pools, and refervoirs. 



In making thefe, care ought to be taken to avoid 

 both tlie extremes, and not to make them either too 

 big or too little, that a water work may not take 

 up the beft part of a fmall fpot of ground •, nor to 

 make too little a bafon in a large fpot. This muft 

 depend entirely on the judgment of the defigncr of 



the garden. 



I i 



Some 



