506 Notes relatinsr to Botany ^ collected from 



melons to a great size and perfection ; I have told above 

 forty lyiiiil ripe on llie ground. They were raised in frames, 

 and transpUiited out 'HKicr bell-glasses. A basket of these 

 melons was sent to the king. Mr. Bennet had besides a 

 great collection of hardy-groimd plants. His garden and 

 all his plants were sold by auction April It, \liii). 



The seeds of the rhubarb with broad curled leaves were 

 first raised by nie. They were sent by Dr. Amman, pro- 

 fessor of botany at Pctersinuix, whose falhcr-in-law wai* 

 Kussian governor of the province near which the rhubarb 

 grows. The seed of that with long narrow curled leaves 

 was sent bv the Jesuits in China to my tncnd Dr. Tanches, 

 at Petersburg, by the Russian caravan, and he sent it 

 to me. 



Lord Ruehefort, our ambassador in Spain, in a letter 

 dated Madrid, Novend)cr 1765, says, -that m the parts 

 where he had been, there are very few forest-trees worth no- 

 tice ; but the ilexes about the E^curial are fine. One sort 

 produces acorns of a monstrous size, \vhich ihev eat in Spain 

 at their best tal)les, and they are as sweet as chesnuts. 



Mayi;th, 1761. I was invited by Mr, Siiarp, at South 

 Lodiie, on Enfield Chase, to dine, and see the Virginia 

 dogwood {Comas finr Ida) . The caiyx of the flowers is as 

 large as those figured liv Catesby, and (what is remarkable) 

 this is the onlv tree that ije.irs these fiowers amongst many 

 hundreds that I have seen : it began to bear them in May, 

 1759. 



Anno 1747. Raised a new species of what appears to 

 be a three-thorncd acacia, from seeds from Persia, that 

 came with Azad or Persian hornbeam, given me by Mr. 

 Baker: it thrives well in my garden. I gave seed to Mr. 

 Gordon, and he also raised it. 



The eastern hornbcrim (Miller's Dictionary, edition 8th,) 

 was raised frojii seed given to me, which came from Persia 

 by the name of Azcul. 1 gave it to Mr. Gordon, gardener 

 at Mile-End, who was so fortunate as to have it come up 

 anno 1747, and from him my garden and other gardens 

 b?.ve been supplied. There is a large tree in my field at 

 Jlendon, Middlesex. 



Mr. iNJi'ilcr is greatly mistaken in saying the Arundo 

 No. 2, or Donax, dies down every vear. In my garden 

 the .stalks have continued for some years making annually 

 young green shoots from every joint, and bear a handsome 

 tassel of floWiM-s. The first time I ever saw it in flower wa* 

 SeptendDer I5ih,- l76iJ. This very long hot dry season has 

 made many exotics flower. 



