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LAW SON I A. Lin. Gen. Plant. 4J3. Henna. Ludvv. 



The Characters arc, 



^heflciver has a fmall permanent empalement^ divided into 

 fcur parts at the top. The floiver is compcfed of four oval 

 fpcarfhaped petals y which fpread open ^ and eight Jlendcr 

 Jiamina the length of the petals ^ which fland by pairs be- 

 fween them^ terminated by roundijlj fummits. It hath a 

 roundifh germcn^ fitpporting a flcnder permanent ftyle^ 

 crowned by a headed ftigma. The germen afterward be- 

 comes a globular capfule ending in a pointy having four 

 cellsy filled with angular feeds. 



This genus of plants is ranged in the firft feftion of 

 Linnasus's eighth clafs, intitled Oftandria Monogynia, 

 which includes thofe plants whofe flowers have eight 

 ftamina and one ftyle. 

 The Species are, 



1. Lawsonia (Inermis) ramis inermibus. Flor. Zeyl. 

 134. Lawfonia whofe branches have no fpines. Liguftrum 

 jEgyptiacum latifolium. C. B. P. 476. Broad-leaved 

 Egyptian Privet^ called Alhenna^ or Henna, by the 



Arabians. 



2. Lawsonia {Spinofa) ramis fpinofis. Flor. Zeyl. 134. 

 Lawfonia with prickly branches. Rhamnus Malabaricus 

 Mail-anski. Pluk. Aim. 38. tab. 220. Malabar 

 Buckthorn^ called Mail-anjki. 



The firft fort grow's naturally in India, Egypt, and 

 other warm countries, where it rifes with a Ihrubby 

 ftalk eight or ten feet high. The branches come 

 out by pairs oppofite -, thefe are flender, and covered 

 with a whitifh yellow bark, and garnifhed with oblong 

 fmall leaves of a pale green, ending in acute points, 

 placed oppofite. The flowers are produced in loofe 

 bunches at the end of the branches ; they are of a gray 

 or dirty white colour, and are compofed of four fmall 



■ petals which turn backward at the top. The flowers 

 are fucceeded by roundiflacapfules wlthfour cells, filled 



^Vith angular feeds. 

 The leaves of this Ihrub are muchufed by theEgyptian 



I. A Y 



This is to be performed by flitimg the branches a li\t\^ 

 way upward, and laying them under the mould about 

 half a foot •, the ground fnould firft be well digged and 

 n^.ade very light, and after they are laid they^ftiould 

 have a little water given them. 



If they do not comply veil in the layino" of them 

 down, they muft be pegged down with a forked ftick 

 cut in form of a hook to keep them down ^ if the 

 Layers have taken fufficient root by the next v/interj 

 they muft be cut ofi^from the main plants, and planted* 

 in the nurfery, as is dire&cd about feedlings. 

 Some twift the branch or bare the rind, and if it be 

 out of the reach of the ground, they faften a tub or 

 balket near the brancli, which they 'fill with good 

 mould, and lay the branch in it. 



Laying of Trees-- 



This operation is thus performed; 

 I ft. Take fome of the moft flexible boughs and la/ 

 them into the ground about half a foot deep in fine 

 frefti mould, faftening them down with forked fticks, 

 leaving them with the end of the Layer about a foot 

 or a foot and a half out of the ground, and keep them 

 moift during the fummer feafon, and they will pro- 

 bably have taken root and be fit to remove in au- 

 tumn, and if they have not by that time taken root 

 they muft lie longer. , 



2dly, Tie a piece of wire hard round the bark of the 

 bough, at the place you intend to lay in the ground, 

 and twift the ends of the wire, fo that they may not 

 untie, and prick the place above the wire through the 

 bark, with an awl in feveral places, and then lay it in 

 the ground as before directed j this will often fucceed 

 when the other fails. v . ,. r > -^ 



gdly. Cut a (lit upwards at a jointj as is pra£tifed in 

 laying of Carnations, which by gardeners is called 

 tonguing the Layers, 



4thly, Twift the part of the branch defigned to lay 

 women to colour their nails yellow, which they efteem I in the ground like a withy, if it is pliable, and lay it 

 an ornament. 'I ^"^^ ^^^ ground as diredled in the firft v/ay of laying. 



The fecond fort grows naturally in both Indies, for I 5thly, Cut a circle almoft round about the bough 

 I have received fpecimens of it from the Spanilh j (that is defigned to be laid) half an inch, at the place 



that is moft convenient to lay into the ground, and 



manage it as is directed in the Srft method of laying. 

 I The feafon for laying Tiardy trees that fhed their leaves 



is in October, but for fuch as are tender in the be- 



Weft- Indies, where it was found growing naturally in 

 •great plenty. ./' . - - ^ 



This rifes with a woody trunk eighteen feet high or 

 more. The wood is hard and clofe, covered with 



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a light gray bark.' The branches come out alternate, 



and are garnifhed with oblpng oval leaves, which 



i ftand without order ; and at the loints where the leaves 



are placed, come out fingle, ftrong, fharp thorns. The 



' flowers are produced in loofe buncHes from the fide 



' of the branches; they are of a pale "yellow" colour, 



' and of a difagreeable Icent ; they have four petals, 



(Which fpread open ; between each of thefe are f^tuated 



'two pretty ftrong ftamjna, teripjnated by. roundifh 



'/fummits. After the flowers are paft, the germen be- 



'""cbmes a roundifli capfule with four cells, including 



^.manyangular feeds.... -.;,'= rr i,^.:^?^;;:..^^/^; 

 .Thefe plants art both propagated by feeds, -v^hich 



' Ihould be fown on a hot- bed early in the fprijjg, that 



may have time to get 



the olants are fit to 



ginning of Marchj for Evergreens, June or July are 



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remove, they llioUld be eacn punted ma fmajiDOt 

 filled with light fandy earth, and plungeiTinto a hot- 

 3 of tanners bark, "where thev .'muft be fcreened 

 irom the fun till they have takeij ne\y^ root ; then their 

 -treatment fiiould be the farne'as that of the Cofl^e- 



: tree, with this difFerence only, not to let tKefe plants 

 have fo mucR"water ; Hut efpecially iri'the winter, 

 during which feafon it fhould be given' to' thern' very 



.^fparingly, fpr by over- watering thefe plants,^! .ha,ye 

 Known many of them deftroyed ; thefe plants are poo 

 tender to thrive in the open ajr in England, fo they 



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good feafons. 



Though Layers may be laid at any time in the year, 

 yet the before- mentioned feafons are moft proper, for 

 the reafons following, becaufe they have the whole 



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wmter and lummer to prepare ana draw root ; tor at 

 thefe times of the year the fun has fufficient power on 

 the fap of the tree to feed the leaf and bud, but has 

 not power fufiicient to make a fhoot. -. .- ,^ ^ ? 

 And if that fmall quantity of fap that does arife be ' 

 hindered, as it will by fome of the preceding ways of 

 laying, the leaves and buds will gently crave of the '. 

 Layer, and by that means will prepare the Layer to 

 take root, or put forth roots a little to maintain it- 

 felf, finding it cannot have it from the mother plant. 

 I And therefore, becaufe it wants but little nourifhment 

 at that time of the year, it is better to lay Layers of 

 trees, or to fet cuttings than at other titiies, either in 

 the autumn, when the lap ftirs but little, or in the 

 fpring \yhen it begins tp rife, becaufe it is then^apt to 

 come too fudHenly to Jraw fap from tfie Layer, before 

 the Layer has drawn or prepared for root-, but for 

 fome forts the middle of fummer is beft. -. , 



However, the fpring or fummer may do well for 

 fmall plants, becaufe^fuch plants being but fhort- 



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but 



hot 



muft conftajitly remain in the ftove, out m 

 weather they fhould have plenty of free air admitted 

 to them. ' " ., ' • '• 



•*- A I E R S. Many trees and fhrubs may fee propagated 

 by Layers, which do not produce feeds here, fo are 

 noteafily inc^cafed by any other metjxod. .n ., :• .^' . 





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lived draw root the^quicker, 

 If you would lay young trees from a high ftandard, the 

 boughs of which cannot be bent down to the ground, 

 then you niuft make ufe of Ofier baflcets, boxes,, 

 or pots, filled with fine mould, mixed with a little 

 rotten Willow duft,.which will keep moifture to alTift 

 the Layer in taking root-, this bafket, box, &c. muft: 



be fet upon a poft or trefllel, &c. and the bough mult 



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