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the open air in England, and is chiefly cultivated for 

 nofec^ays, as it comes iboner to flower than Swecc 

 Marjoram, fo it is ufed for the fame purpofes, till the 

 other comes to maturity. There is a variety of this 

 with variegated leaves. This is generally propagated 

 by parting the roots in autumn, and faould have a 

 dry foil, where it will thrive, requiring no other cul- 

 ture than the firfl: fort. 



The third fort grows naturally in France and Italy ; 

 this hath a perennial root, from which arife feveral 

 flender bending flalks near a foot high, garnifhcd 

 with oval fmooth leaves Handing on pretty long foot- 

 ftalks. The flov/crs are produced in oblong ipikcs, 

 which grow in cluftered panicles ; they are fmall, of a 



fiurplifh colour, peeping out of their fcaly coverings, 

 t flowers in June, and may be propagated by part- 

 ing the roots in the fame way as the former. 

 The fourth fort grows plentifully about Orleans \ this 

 hath a perennial root, from which arife feveral four- 

 cornered ftalks about fix inches high, which frequently 

 bend to the ground, and put out roots ; they are gar- 

 niflied with oblong hairy leaves fitting elofe to the 

 ftalk. The flowers grow" in oblong cluftered fpikes 

 at the top of the ftalks, having long coloured brac- 

 tc3B between each ; the flowers are fome whitifh, 

 others purple in the fame fpikes ; they are fmall^ and 

 peep out of their fcaly covers. This flowers in 

 June, and may be propagated in the fame way as the 

 former. 



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The fifth fort grows naturally m the Levant ; it is a 



perennial plant. ■ The ftalks rife two feet high, and 



'^ orarich out their whole length ; they are purple, and 



garniftied with ovaj rough leaves, fomewnat like 



' ^thofe of Self-heal, but fniaUer. The flowers grow 



in roundifli cluftered fpikes, Having flioftHrafte^e ; 



. ,they are purple, and appear in June, but are not 



V • fucceeded by feeds here. It is propagated by parting 



r- of the heads in the fame way as the former, and muft 



have a dry foil. 

 I The fix th fort is the Orlgany of Crete, which is di- 

 - ^ reeled to be ufed in medicine, but there has been 

 ^reat confufion among botanifts in diftinguifhing the. 

 Jpecies. This rifes with four-cornered ftalks a foot 

 and half high, garnifhed with oval hoary leaves of a 

 . ftrong aromatic fcent. The flowers grow in long, 

 'fcreft, bunched fpikes at the top of the ftalks, having 

 membraneous bra£leas between, which are' twice the 

 rlengthof the'empalement J the flowers are' fmall and 

 white, like thofeof the common Origany- Jt flowers 

 in July, but feldom perfects feeds in England. _^ It is 

 propagated by parting tlie roots as the former,^but 

 muft have a dry foil and a warm^fituation, otherwife 



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:;i 4t will not live through the winter here, i^- 

 » - The fevcnth fort is the common Sweet Marj 

 i ^which is fo well known as to neecl no defcnption. With 

 U us in England it is efteemed an annual plant, though 

 the roots often live throueh the winter in mild fea- 

 ons, or if they are meltered m a green-houfe ; but in 

 '' 'warm countries7l believe, it is onlyTDiehnial. ■ ' ' 



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•^ .This is'propagafcd by feeds, which arc generally im-' 

 ported from thefouthof France or Italy, for they fel- 

 dom ripen jn England. vThefe are fown on a warm 

 i^- border toward the end of March, and when 

 \' are come "about an inch' high, thfey ftiould be tranf- 

 ■ ■ planted into beds of rich earth, ^at fix inches diftance 

 every way, obferving to water them duly tjll they 

 '• have taken new root -, after which, they will require 

 •^I no other care but to keep them clean from weeds. 

 The plantis will Ipread and cover the ground ; in July 

 ' - they will begin to flower, at which time it is cut for 

 ufe, and is then called Knotted Marjoram^ Trom the 



flowers being collcded into roundilh clofe heads like' 

 knots. " ' •-- -. . - .'. -■ ' " ''^' 





The eighth fort grows naturally in Africa ;' this is a 

 perennial plant with a low Ihrubby ftalk, feldom rifing 

 ■' more than a foot and half high, dividing into branches, 

 which are garniflied with roundifh, thick, woolly 

 leaves, and hollowed like a ladle ; they are like thofe 

 of the common Maijoram, but are of a thicker fub- 

 ftance and woolly, and have much the fame fcent. 





end of the fmall f;de branches they are of a "pale 

 flcfli colour, peeping out of their 'icaly coverings. 

 This fort flowers in Jul/ and Auguft, but does not 

 ripen feeds in England. 



It is propagated by flip; or cuttings, which if planted 

 in a border of good earth during z:v/ of the lummer 



. months, and fiiadcd fron:i the fun and duly watered, 

 will take root freely *, and afterward the plants may 

 be taken up, and planted in finall pots filled with 

 light kitchen-garden earth, and placed in the fliade 

 till they have taken new root, wlien they rhay be re- 

 moved into an open fituation, where they may re- 

 main till the end of Oftober, when they muft be 

 placed under fticUcr, for they Will not thrive through 

 the winter in the open'air here ; bur if they are put 

 under a hot-bed frame, where they may be protefted 

 from hard froft, and have as mucli free air as pofllble 

 in mild v/eather, they will tfirive better than if they 

 are more tenderly created. •;' - 



The tenth fort is the Dittany of Crete, which is ufed 

 in medicine; this grows naturally upon Mount Ida, 

 in Candiaj it is a perennial plant. - The ftalks are 

 : hairy, ana rife about nine inches high, ofapurplifli 

 colour, and fend out fmall branches from their fides 

 by pairs •, they are garniftied with round, thick, woolly 

 '^ leaves," which are very v/hite •, the whole plant has a 



' ■ piercing aromatic fcent, and biting tafte : the flowers 



are collefled in loofe leafy heads of a purple colour, 



'which nod downward; they" are fmall, and of a 



purpTe'cbfouri tKe ftami^ria flands out beyond' the 



"petal, two ^of them being' much longer than the 



* 'other.^ It' flowers in June and July, and in warm 

 ■ feafons'tKe feeds fometimes ripen in autumn, ' 3 - 

 This is propagated eafily by planting cutting^ or 

 flips during any of the fummer months. ^Thefe 

 fhould be planted either in pets or a ftiady border, co- 

 vering them dole with a bell or hand-glafs to exclude 

 the air, and now and then refrelhihg them "with wa- 

 ter, but they muft not have too much wet. When 



^^thefe have taken rooti they ftiould be carefully taken 



■'■tip,' and each planted into a feparate fmall pot filled 

 with light earth, and placed in the fhade till they 

 have taken new root, when they fliould be removed 

 into an open fituation, where they may continue till 



; 'autumh,"ahd tlien'pTaced under a hot-bed frame to 

 : '^fcreen them from the froft, b6t theylhduld enjoy the 



- free air at all times in mild weather. The fqllowing 



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pots, and planted in a warm border near a good af- 



pe6ted wall, and in a dry foil, where the plants will live 



througR the common winters without any other fliel- 



ter-, but as they arc liable to be killed by feve re froft, 



it will be proper to keep a few plaints in pots, to bet 



Iheltered in winter to preferve the kind; -— -/ '^^ ' 



The eleventh fort grows naturally on Mount Sipylus 



.' near Magnefia, where it was difcovered by Sir George 



';' "Wheeler, who ftht the feeds to the Oxford Garden, 



where the plants were raifed ; this hath a perennial 



' root,^ but an annual ftalk/ '- The root is compofed of 



many flender ligneovis fibres i tKe leaves are oval, 



fmooth, arid of a gfayifti colour ; the ftalks are flen- 



. der, of a purplifta colour, four-cornered, and^fmcoth ; 



they rife ne:ar two. feet high, fending out flender 



branches oppofue, wliich are terminated by flender 



oblong Ipikes of purplifli flowers, which peep out 



of their fcaly covers-, '"the flowers are fmall, but 



.ftiaded like thofe of the tenth fort ; their ftamina are 



extended out of the petal to a confidcrable length. 



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The leaves^on the lower part of the ftalk, arValmoft 



as*^ large as'tlit?- commToh Origafiy^'^ but thofe on the 



upper part of the ftalk and branches are very fmall, and 



fit clofe to the ftalk. It flowers in June and July, and in 



warm feafons the feeds ripen here in autumn. It is 



propagated by cuttings or flips, in the fame way as 



the Cretan Dittany, and the plants require the fame 

 treatmenc**^^ ^-"^'A^v^ 5^^ -v .^v -v. 



The twelfth fort is undoubtedly a variety, which has 

 been prbductd TrOm tlic intermixing of the* fanna 



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