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ftalks about an inch long, each fuftaining a fingk 

 fiower*, but there are two, three, or four of thcfe 

 foot-ftalks arifing from the fame joint. The fiowers 

 are compofed of five large unequal petals, which are 

 . fiuped like thofe of the former fort, but are larger, 

 and fpread open much wider ^ there are white, pur- 

 ple, and red of this fort, as alfo fingle and double 

 flowers. If the feeds of thefe are fown on a moderate 

 hot-bed in the fpring, the plants will fiower in June ; 

 but thofe which are fown in the full ground, will 

 not fiower before the middle of July i and thefe will 

 continue fiowering till the frofl puts a flop to them in 



the autumn. 



There are two other varieties of this, if not diflind 

 fpecies , one of them grows naturally in the Eaft, and 

 the other in the Weft-Indies •, that which comes from 

 theEaft-Indies, by the title of Immortal Eagle Flower, 

 is a moft beautiful plants the flowers are double, 

 much larger than thofe of the common fort ^ they 

 are fcarlet and \yhite variegated, and piirple and 

 white in others; and the plants producing many 

 fiowers, render them very valuable -, and if the feeds 

 of thefe are carefully faved, the kinds may always 

 be preferved ; but I have raifed fome plants from 

 foreign feeds, whofe flowers were fo very double 

 as to lofe their male parts, fo did not produce any 



feeds. 



The feeds of thefe plants Ihould be fown on a mode- 

 rate hot-bed in the fpring, arid when the plants are 

 / come up about an inch high, they fhould be tranf- 

 planted on another moderate hot-bed at about four 

 inches diftance each way, obferving to fhade them 

 from the fun till they have taken new root; after which 

 they fhould have a large fiiare of free air admitted 

 to them, at all times w^hen the weather is favourable, 

 to prevent their drawing up tall and weak : they 

 will require to be often refrefhed with water, but it 

 Il^ould not be given to them in too great plenty; 

 for as their flems are very fucculent, fo they are apt 

 XO rot with much moifture." When the plants are 

 grown fo large as Ito toucTi each other, they fhould be 

 * '^carefully taken up with balls of earth to their roots, 

 ^ and each planted into a feparate pot filled with light 

 riclieaVtT),an'^ plunged into a very moderate hod-bed 

 ■ Mnder a deep frame, to admit the plants to grow, 

 Hiading them from the fun until they have taken frefli 

 root; then they fhould have a large fhare of air ad- 

 mitted to them every day, and by degrees hardened, 

 fo as to bear the open air, into which part of the plants 

 may be removed in July, placing them in a warm 

 fheltercd fituation; where, if the feafon proves favour- 

 ble, they will flower and make a fine appearance ; 

 but it will be proper to keep part of the plants 

 either in a glafs-cafe or a deep frame, in order to 

 get good feeds, becaufe thofe in the open air will 

 not ripen their feeds unlefs the fummer proves very 

 warm y and the plants in fhelter mufl have a good 

 Ihare of free air every day, otherwife they will grow 

 pale and fickly ; nor fhould they have too much of the 

 fun in the middle of the day, in very hot weather, 

 for that occafions their leaves hanging *and their re- 

 quiring water, which is often very hurtful ; therefore 

 - if the glaffes are fhaded in the middle of the day for 

 t!iree or fourfibur-s, the plants will thrive better, and 

 ' continue longer in beauty than when they areexpofed 

 ' to the great heat. Thofe who arc curious to preferve 

 thefe plants in" perfedion, pull off all the fingle and 

 ■ plain coloured flowers from the plants which they pre- 

 serve for feeds, leaving only thofe flowers which are 

 double and of good colours j where this is carefully 

 done, they may be continued without the leaft dege- 

 neracy conftantly. 



The fort which grows in the Weft-Indies, is there 

 called Cockfpur. This hath fingle flowers as large as 

 tnelaft-mentioned fort, but I never faw any of them 

 more than half double, and only with white and red 



a 



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ftripes : the plants are very apt to grow to a very laro-e 

 fize before they produce any flowers, fo that it is lace 

 in the autumn before they begin to flower j and fbme- 

 times in bad feafons tliey will fcarce have any flowers. 



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and but rarely ripen their feeds here, fo tliat few per 

 fons care to cultivate this fort, efpecially if they can 

 have the other. 



The third fort here mentioned grows naturally in Cev 

 Ion, and in many parts of India; this hath very nar- 

 row fpear-fljaped leaves, which are fawed on their 

 edges ; the foot-ilalks fuftain each three flowers, which 

 are fmaller than thofe of the common fort, fo are not 

 worthy of a place in gardens, except for the fake of 

 variety. This is a tender plant, and requires the fame 

 treatment as the Immortal Eagle Flower,' 

 VIPERATORIA. Lin. Gen. Plant. ^21. Tourn 

 Inft. R. H. 316. tab. 168. Mafterwort'; in French' 

 Imperalcire, 



The Characters arc, 



^ellated fiower ; 

 )fed of many fh 



fmall 



are ccmpofed of many^ narrow leaves^ almofl as long as 

 the umbel •, the principal umbel is uniform ^ the floi'-ers 

 have five hcart-fioaped petals^ which are equal and in- 

 flexed. "They have five hairy ftamhia^ terminated by 

 roundifij ftirtrnits. The germcn is fititatcd under the te- 



nia s. 



efi 

 afterward becomes a rotindiPt) 



preffed fruit divided in two parts-, contai)iing two oval- 

 bordered feeds. 



This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond fedion of 

 Linna::us's fifth clafs, intitled Pcntandria Digynia, 

 which contains the plants whofe flowers have five (la- 

 mina and two ftyles. 



We have but one Species of this crenus, viz. 



Hort. Cliff. 



103, 

 156. 



Grcatsr 

 Pempt. 



Imperatoria {Oftruthium,) 



wort, 'Imperatoria major. C. B. P. 



'- Mafierwort ; and the Aitrantia of Dod( 



320, Mafierwort^ or falfe PelUtory of Spam, 



rThis plant grows naturally on the Auftrian and Sty- 



■'ridn Alps, and upon other mountainous places in Italy i 



the root is as thick as a man's thumb, running ob- 



liquely in the ground ^ it is flefny, aromatic, and has 



a ftrong acrid tafte, biting the tongue and mouth 



like Pellitory of Spain-, the leaves arife immediately 



from the root ; they have foot-ftalks feven or eight 



inches long, dividing into three very fliort ones at the 



top, each fuftaining a trilobate leaf, indented on the 



border j the foot-ftalks are deeply channelled, and 



when broken emit a rank odour. The fiov/er-ftalks 



rife about two feet high, and divide into two or three 

 branches, each being terminated by a pretty large um- 

 bel of white flowers, whofe petals are fplit ; thefe are 



fucceeded by oval comprelTed feeds, fomewhit like 



thofe of Dill, but larger. 



J 



feeds ripen in Auguft. 

 This plant is cultivated iu gardens to fupply the 

 markets. It may be propagated either by feeds, or 

 by parting the roots : if you would propagate it by 

 feeds, they fliould be fown in autumn foon after 

 they are npe, on a bed or border, in a Ihady fitua- 

 tion ; 'obferving not to fow the feeds too thick, 

 nor fliould they be covered. too deep. In the fpring 

 the plants will appear, when they fhould be carefully 

 weeded ^ and if the feafon fhould prove very dry, they 

 Ihould be now and then refreflied with water, which 

 will greatly promote their growth. Toward the be- 

 ginning of May, if you find the plants come up too 

 clofe together, you iTiould prepare a moiff fHady bor- 

 der (and thin the plants carefully, leaving them about 

 fix inches afunder^) and plant thofe which you draw 

 up into the border about the fame diftance apart every 

 way, being careful to water them duly, if the feafoa 

 fhould prove dry, until they have taken root ; after 

 v/hich time, thefe plants (as alfo thofe remaining in 

 the feed-beds) will require no other culture but to 

 keep them clear from weeds ; which m.ay be eafdyef- 

 fefted, by hoeing the ground between the plants no\v 

 and then in dry weather, which will deftroy the weeds i 

 and by thus ftirringthe ground, will bcofgrcat fervlceto 

 the plants. The following autumn thefe plants fhouid 

 be tranfplanted where they are defigned to remain, 

 which ftiould be in a rich moift foil and a Ihady firu- 



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