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but are curved downward at the bottom. They are 

 ranged along one fide of the ftalk, and are of a pur- 

 plifh red colour. This flowers the latter end of May, 

 and in June, and the feeds ripen the beginning of Au- 

 guft i it requires no care, for when it is once planted 

 in a garden, it will multiply too faft, fo as to become 



a troublefome weed. 



There is a variety of this with white flowers, and 

 another with flefh-coloured flowers, which have ac- 

 cidentally ' rifen from feeds, fo are not different 



fpecies. 



The fecond fort differs from the firfl:, in having 

 the flowers ranged on both fides the fl;alk, but in 

 other refpedls it is very like to that •, and of this 

 'there is a variety with white flowers, but thefe are 

 not fo common in the Englilh gardens as the former. 

 The third fort hath larger roots than either of the 

 former, but are of the fame form^ ; the leaves are 

 alfo much broader and longer, the veins or channels 

 ■ of the leaves are deeper, the flower-flialks rife 

 higher •, the flowers are much larger, and of a deeper 

 red colour than thofe of the former forts, and the 

 fheaths are longer. This plant makes a fine appear- 

 ance in flower, fo is worthy of a place in every good 

 garden ; and the rather, becaufe the roots do not in- ' 

 creafefo faft as to become troublefome in the borders. 

 This is propagated by offsets, which are fent off from 

 the roots in the fame manner as Tulips. The roots 

 may be taken out of the ground the end of July, 

 when their fl:alks decay, and may be kept out of the 

 . ground till the latter end of September, or the begin- 

 ning of Oftober; at which time they fhould be planted 

 in the borders of the flower-garden, where they will 

 thrive in any fituation, and being intermixed with 

 other flowers of the fame growth, they will add to 

 the variety. . ' . . ',: ^- . 



The fourth fort grows naturally at the Cape of Good 

 Hope, from whence I have feveral times received the 

 feeds. This has been many years cultivated in the 

 Englifh gardens, but very rarely flowers here -, for 

 in near thirty years that I have cultivated this 

 fort,' I have never feen itbut once in flower, though 

 I have kept it in all fituations, and planted it in va- 

 rious foils. The roots increafe very fafl:, but will 

 not live in the open air through the winter in this 

 country. The roots of this fort are broader and 

 flatter than thofe of any of the other forts, and are 

 covered with a netted &in •, the leaves come out in 

 the fame manner, embracing each other like the for- 

 mer forts ; they are longer, fmodther, and of a 

 brighter green, than any of the others \ thefe begin 

 to appear in September, and contyiue growing in 

 fize till after Chrifl:mas ; they begin to decay in 

 March, and the latter end of June are quite withered, 

 when the roots may be taken up, and kept out of 

 the ground till Augufl: -, the time of its flowering is 

 in January. ,The flowers of this fort are placed on 

 each fide the ftalk, and fit clofe to it, like the 

 rains of the flat Barley ; the fheaths between the 

 owers are not fo long as thofe of the other forts, 

 arid form a kind of fcaly covering to them. The 

 flowers are of a pale red colour without, but the three 

 lower fegmehts are yellow within toward their bafe, 

 with a few red ftripes. The flowers do not all open at 

 the fame time, but the lower ones decay before thofe 

 on the upper part of the fpike are in beauty ; however, \ 

 they make a good appearance at a feafon when all 

 flowers are valuable. 



This fort propagates by offsets xtvy faft ; thefe fhould 

 be planted in a warm border of kitchen-sarden 



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thefe roots arc planted in the full ground, where thti 

 may be protefted from the froft, there will be a greater 

 probability of their flowering, than in any other me- 

 thod of culture. 



The fifth fort grows naturally at the Cape of Good 

 Hope, from whence I received the feeds, which 

 fucceeded in the Chelfca garden, where tlie plants 

 annually produce their beautiful fiov/ers. 

 This hath a round, fmooth, bulbous root, which is 

 covered with a thin dark-coloured fkin, from which 

 come out in autumn two or three very narrow gra% 

 leaves, folded over each other at their bafe, but open 

 -fiat above, and rife near two feet high. In the fpring 

 of the year arifes a fingle ftalk from between the 

 leaves about two feet long, which always bend on 

 one fide -, toward the upper part of this come out two 

 or three flowers, ranged on one fide of the ftalk, 

 ftanding upright, each having a narrow fpatha, or 

 hood, and long flender tubes, which fv/elliarge up- 

 ward, and are divided into fix parts, which are nearly 

 equal. The flower is of a duflcy flefii colour, and 

 each fegment of the petal has a rhomboidal mark 

 of a dark red, or purple colour ; afterward the tube 

 of the flower opens, and the deep divifion of the 

 petals is feen, and the three ftamina with their fum- 



attended by the ftyle with its trifid 



mits appear, 



ftigma, arifing from the germen. 



This plant flowers. 



in May and the beginning of June ; as this plant is a 

 native of a warm country, it requires proteftion from 

 the froft in winter ; therefore the bulbs fliould be 

 planted in pots filled with light earth, and placed ia 

 the green-houfe in winter; or, where there is not fuch 

 conveniency, they may be put under a hot-bed 

 frame during' that feafon, where they may have air in 

 mild weather, and be fcreened from the froft ; in 

 fuch fituations I have had them thrive and flower very 



welh -■'* '''■'■ • ;C . ' ; 



This is prop'agated by offsets from the root in the 

 fame manner as the laft, and alfo by feeds, which are 

 frequently perfefted in England ; thefe fhould be fown 

 the latter end of Auguft, in pots filled with light earth, 

 and placed in a fbady fituation till the middle of Sep- 

 tember ; then the pots fhould be removed where they 

 may have the fun great part of the day, and in O£to- 

 ber they muft be placed under a hot-bed frame, where 

 they may be protefted from froft and great rains, but' 

 enjoy the free air in mild weather. In the fpring the > 

 young plants will appear, when they will require a 

 little water once in eight or ten days, but it fliould be 

 given them fparingly, for too much wet will rot thefe 

 tender bulbs. In May, when the danger of froft is 

 over, the pots fhould be removed to a fhekered fitua- 

 tion, where they may have the morning fun till noon -, 

 and, if the feafon proves dry, they muft be now and 

 then refrefhed with water. Toward the latter end of 

 June, the leaves of thefe plants will decay ; then the 

 roots fhould be taken 'up, and may be mixed with 

 fand, and kept in a dry room till the end of Auguft, 

 when they fhould be planted again j and as the roots 

 are fmall, four or five may be planted in each half- 

 penny pot, filled with light earth ; thefe fhould be 

 placed where they may have only the forenoon fun, 

 till the middle of September, when they fliould have 

 a warmer fituation ; and in Oftober they muft be 

 placed under a hot- bed frame as before, and treated 

 in the fame way during the winter feafon j and in 

 the fpring they muft be placed in the open air till 

 their leaves decay, when they may be again taken^ 

 out of the ground, and treated in the fame manner as 

 before •, but as the roots will have prown to a larger 



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earth, and in winter they fhould be covered with I fize, fo when they are planted again, tiKy fhould 

 glaffes or mats to guard them from froft ; for I have | each have a feparate half-penny pot, becaufe now they^ 



will be large enough to flower, fo may be treated as 

 the old roots. 



The fixth fort is alfo a native of the Cape of Good 

 Hope, from whence I have feveral times received the 

 feeds ; the root of this fort is oval, not compreiTcd as 

 thofe of the comrrion forts. The leaves are very long 

 and narrow, having two deep furrows running the 

 ■whole length; the midrib rifing vtry prominent, fo as . 



with a flight fhelter preferved thofe which were' in 

 pots under a common frame, and fome which were 

 planted in the full ground, when the froft has not 

 been 



and I have always found that thofe 

 plants which were hardily treated, grew much ftronger 

 than thofe which were placed in a moderate degree of 

 warmth ; fo that where there is a conveniency of co- 



>\'Cring a warm border with glaflfes in the winter, if 



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