<' thtlr great reflexions, produce a vigorous heat ; 

 <^ and the fame, when rcfolved, exceffive cold." 

 Whence (as Dr. Hales obferves) we fee, that blafts 

 may be occafioned by the reflexions of the clouds, as 

 well as by the above-mentioned refraction of denfe 

 tranfparent vapours. 



A2:ainft this enemy to fruits, &c. as hath been faid, 

 there is no guard to our fruit-trees, nor any remxdy 

 to cure it: but as this more frequently happens in 

 clofe plantations (where the flagnating vapours from 

 the earth, and the plentiful perfpirations from the 

 trees, arc pent in for want of a free air to difllpate 

 and difpel them ; which are often obferved, in ftill 

 weather, to afcend in fo plentiful a manner, as to be 

 feen by the naked eye, but efpecially with reflefting 

 telefcopes, fo as to make a clear and diftinft objedt 

 become dim and tremulous,) than in thofe that are 

 planted at a greater diftance, or are not furrounded 

 with hills or woods j this direfts us, in the firfl plant- 

 in j? of kitchen-orardens and orchards, &c. that we Ihould 

 allow a greater diftance between the trees, and to 

 make choice of clear healthy fituations, that the air 

 may freely pafs between the trees to difllpate thofe va- 

 pours before they are formed into fuch volumes, 

 whereby the circumambient air will be clear, and lefs 

 fubjeft to injuries ; as alfo the fruits which are pro- 

 duced in this clearer air, will be much better tafted 

 than thofe that are furrounded with a thick rancid air ; 

 for as fruits are often in a refpiring ftate, they confe- 

 quently, by imbibing apart of thcfc vapours, are ren- 

 dered crude and ill-tafl:cd, which is often the cafe 

 with a great part of our fruits in England. 

 B L I T U M. Lin. Gen. Plant. 14. Clienopodio-morus. 

 Boerh. Ind. Morocarpus. Rupp. Strawberry Blitc. 



The Charactkrs are, 

 // haih a tripartite fprcading empalemcnty which is per- 

 manent ; the fozver bcth no petals^ but one hriftly fta- 

 mina the higth of the empalcnient^ with a double fum- 



K center is fuuated an oval pointed germen fup- 

 Jlyles^ the length of the ftamina^ withafingle 



ft ' ' 



mit. 



/ 



ejjed cap file ^ including one globular comprejfcd feed. 



/tze of the capfule 

 This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond order of 

 Linnoius's firft clafs, intitled Monandria Digynia, 

 the flower having but one ftamina and two ftyles. 

 ■ The Species are, 



1. Blitum {Capitatum) capitellis fpicatis terminalibus. 

 Hort. Upfal. 3. Elite with fpikes terntinated by little 

 heads. Chenopodio-morus major. Boerh. Ind. alt. 

 2.91. Commonly called Strawbeny BlitCy or Strawberry 



Spinach, 



2, Blitum {Virgatum) capitellis fparfis lateralibus. Hort. 



Upfal. 3. 



fmall heads growing fc 



from theftdes of the fialks. Chenopodio-morus minor. 



Wild Atritlex with a Mi 



/*-. 



rmt. 





. Blitum {'Tartaricum) foliis triangvilaribus acute den- 

 tatis, capitellis fimplicibus lateralibus. Elite with tri- 

 angular leaves fharply indented^ andfingle heads proceed- 

 ing from the fides of the fialks. Blitum fragiferum maxi- 

 mum polyfpermum. Amman. Ruth. 

 The firft fort grows naturally in Spain and Portugal, 

 but hath been long preferved in the Englifli gardens. 

 This is an annual plant, which hath leaves fomewhat 

 like thofe of Spinach^ the ftalk rifes about two feet and 

 a half high, the lower part of which is garniflicd with 

 leaves of the fliape with thofe at bottom, but fmaller ; 

 the upper part of the ftalk hath flowers coming out 

 in fmall heads at every joint, and is terminated by 

 a fmall clufter of the fame : after the flowers arc paft, 

 the little heads fwell to the fize of Wood Strawber- 

 ries, and when ripe have the fame appearance ^ being 

 very fucculent, and full of a purple juice, which 

 ftains the hands of thofe who bruife them, of a deep 

 purple colour. 



The fecond fort grows naturally in the fouth of France 

 and Italy. This feklom grows more than one foot 

 high, with fmaller leaves than the firft, but of the 

 lame ihape j the flowers are produced at the wings 



bf the 1 



\i 



are fmall, and collefted in little heads, which are 

 ftiaped like thofe of the firft, but fmaller and not fa 

 deeply coloured* 



The feeds of the third fort were fent me by the late 

 Dr. Amman, who was profeflbr of botany at Pcterf- 

 burgh. This rifes near three feet high; the leaves 

 are triangular, ending in very acute points, as do alfo 

 the indentures on the edges of the leaves* The flow- 

 ers come out from the wings of the leaves in fmall 

 heads, which are facceeded by berries of the fame 

 ihape and colour as thofe of the firft, but fmallen 

 This fort difters from the firft in the fliapc and inden- 

 tures of the leaves, and in having leaves placed be- 

 tween the berries the whole length of the ftalk, which 

 is not terminated by heads as the firft, but hath leaves 

 above the heads. 



Thefe are all of them annual plants,, which will drop 

 their feeds if permitted, and the plants will come up 

 in plenty the following fpring : or if the feeds of 

 either of the forts are fown in March or April, upon 

 a bed of common earth, in an open fituation, the 

 plants will come up In a month or five Weeks after ; 

 and, if they are to remain in the place where they aj-e 

 fown, will require no other care but to keep them 

 clear from weeds, and to thin them out, fo as to leave 



them fix or eight inches apart ; 



J 



plants will begin to fliew their berries, v/hen they will 

 make a pretty appearance. But many people tranf- 

 plant them into the borders of the flower-gar- 

 dens, and others plant them in pots, to have them 

 ready for removing to court-yards, or to place upoa 

 low walls, among other annual flowers, to adorn thofe 

 places- 



When thefe plants are defigned to be removed, they 

 fhould be tranfplanted before they flioot up their flow* 

 er-ftems, for they will not hear tranfplanting well af- 

 terward : and if they are planted in pots, they will 

 require to be duly watered in dry weather, otherwife 

 the plants will ftint, and not grow to any fize ; and, 

 as the flower-ftems advance, they fliould be fupportcd 

 by fticks ; for if they are not, the branches will fall 

 to the ground, when the berries are grown pretty 

 large and weighty. . 



W 

 BOCCONIA. 



See Lapathum. 



This plant was fo called after the Reverend Paul Boc- 

 cone, of Sicily, who has publifhed fome curious books 

 of botany. 



The Characters are, 

 Ti he flower hath an empalement compofed of two oval^ ch-^ 

 iufe^ concave leaves -, it hath four narrow petals^ with 



€ 



V 



fhort / 



fummits^ which are the length of 



In 



fituated a roundifl: 



fupporting a fn 



which is bifid at the tcp^ 



crowned by a ftngle fligma. The germen aftertvard be- 

 comes an oval fruity contra^Ied at both ends, and a little 

 compreffed^ having one cell., full of pulp ^ including afingk 

 round feed. 



This genus of plants is ranged in the firft fe6lion of 

 Linn^us's thirteenth clafs, intitled Polyandria Mo- 

 nogynia, the flower having many ftamina and one 

 ftyle. 



There Is but one Species of this genus at prefenC 

 known, which is, 



)cc0NiA. {Frutefcens.)^U\n. Sp. Plant. 505. Bocconia 

 racemofa, fpliondylii folio tomentofo. Plum. Nor. 

 Gen. 



This plant is called, by Sir Hans Sloane, in his Na- 

 tural Hiftory of Jamaica, Chelidonium majus arbo- 

 reum, foliis quercinis \ or Greater "Tree Celandine with 

 Oak leaves. 



It is very common in Jamaica, and feveral other parts 

 of America, where it grows to the height of ten or 

 twelve feet, having a ftrait trunk as large as a man's 

 arm, which is covered with a white fmooth baik. 

 At the top it divides into feveral branches, on v/hich 

 the leaves are placed alternately. Thele leaves are 

 eight or nine inches long, and five or fix broad, deeply 



finu* 



N n 



