CURE ^P TH^ r^RY ROT. $17 



At another time, I faw it in a houfe at Whitehall, built by Another in- , 

 Sir John Vanbrugh, whofe nephew then lived in it. The houfe J'^f^^*' W^^t«- 

 is, I think, only two (lories high; the plant had afcended to 

 the upper ftory, committing devaftation on the wainfcot 

 all the way. It will deflroy halfrinch deal wainfcoting in a 

 year. 



I have had it twice in houfes I inhabited, one in Suffolk, and other places, 

 and the other in Gloucefterlhire. I bore with the firft; in 

 the other cafe, I undertook, and did flop it efFedlually. 



The caufe is from the floor being laid on the earth, which it is caufed by 

 has been, where 1 have obferved, of a gravelly or fandy loam, communication 



r /- t 1 XT I r With moift 



The moifturp from a water-courfe at hand, or a North al-eaithj 



pe6t, wher<r .r.e outer wall flands in a garden-bed, fo that 

 the rain percolates, are great encouragers : it requires moif- 

 ture. 



It never rifes in the middle of the floor ; becaufe, if the with accefs of 

 feed were there, it could not germinate for want of air; but it^i"^* 

 is eafy to fuppofe, that after the floor is fhrunk, an air may be 

 created between that, and the vacancy between the wainscot 

 and outer wall fufficient for the purpofes of vegetation. 



I faw an inftance, laft fummer, in the houfe of a friend, a 

 ftudent in botany. He was furprifed when I told him, it was 

 a vifit from a plant ; but fo it proved, and always is, and ever 

 was fo ; nor does it originate from any other caufe. 



In my own cafe, I removed the original foil near the part Procefs of cure, 

 affefted, and fupplied its place with fand. I then placed 

 pieces of tile ; on thofe I laid mortar, and tiles over them, pufliing 

 them under the wainfcot, fo that it had no communication with 

 the joifts or floor. Pillars, in like manner, fliould be kept from 

 the earth. \ 



In laying a floor upon the ground, I (hould take away the 

 earth for a foot in breadth, and four inches in depth, all round 

 the walls, and place the ends of the joifls in mortar, covering 

 them with tiles prefled under the floor and wainscot, quite to 

 the outward wall. Iron or tin plates would do, but are not fo 

 cheap as mortar and tiles. 



purpofe. Till withiii a few months I have never been without fome 

 leaves of the plant. For many years they appear exhaufled and 

 dead, and foon crumble into duftj .but I fufpe6l that frefli wood 

 attrafts a fxeflx growth from the root; 



This 



