p I p 



p I p 



plantations, where the trees arc arrived to a 

 large growth, it is however customary to lop 

 lower branches gradually for faggots, ac- 

 cording as they begin to decay ; tor where these 

 t« ss stand cloVe, the upper branches generally 

 kill those below, so that the lower tiers decay 

 gradually and successively ; in which case these 

 decaying lower branches may be lopped bv de- 

 grees in winter. 



After the plantations designed lor timber- 

 trees have had eight, ten, or twelve years' 

 grow th, it may be proper to begin to thin them ; 

 those thinned out may serve tor many smaller 

 purposes, being careful in thinning to leave a 

 sufficiency of the finest plants standing at pro- 

 per distances to grow up tor timber. 



These trees are all highly ornamental ever- 

 greens for the pleasure-grounds. 



In regard to the distribution or arrangement 

 of the trees in the plantations, and mode of plant- 

 ing, those designed for the shrubbery and for 

 ornamental plantations may be disposed both in 

 assemblage with other trees, and to form 

 clumps, and continued plantations. Those in- 

 tended as forest- trees should generally be dis- 

 posed alone in considerable plantations. The 

 method of planting them is the same as in 

 other hardy trees ; but where large plantations 

 in out-grounds are intended either for pleasure 

 or profit, there will not be any great necessity 

 for a previous preparation of the soil, with re- 

 spect to digging or ploughing, only just to dig a 

 hole for each tree : the same rule may also be ob- 

 served in planting clumps of them in lawns, parks, 

 and other grass-grounds, the mould being made 

 fine in the bottoms of them. Those designed 

 principally for ornament should be disposed at 

 such distances as that their branches may ex- 

 tend freely every way ; as the beautiful display 

 of the head is a great merit in these trees in such 

 plantations: but those intended for timber plan- 

 tations may be put only four or five feet distant, 

 in order that they may draw one another up 

 straight and tall more expeditiously, and to ad- 

 mit of a gradual thinning after a few years' 

 growth, for poles, Sec. 



The proper methods of raising and planting 

 out all tlie dilferent sorts, in the view of afford- 

 ing timber or shelter in large plantations, may 

 be seen in the new edition of Miller's Dicti- 

 onary. 



PIPER, a genus containing plants of the 

 herbaceous shrubby perennial exotic kinds. 



It belongs to the class and order Diandria 

 Trigynia, and ranks in the natural order of Pi- 

 p< ril a-. 



The characters are : that the calyx has no 

 Vol. II. 



perfect spathc : spadix filiform, quite simple, 

 covered with florets, perianihium none : there 

 is no corolla : the stamina hav no filaments : 

 anthers two, opposite, at the root of the germ, 

 roundish : the pistillum has a larger ovat< germ : 

 style none: stigma threefold, hispid: the pe- 

 ricarpium is a roundish one-celled berry : the 

 seed single, globular. 



The species are: I. P. nigrum, Black Pepper: 

 2. P. AmalagO, Rough-leaved Pepper; 3. P. 

 longum, Long Pepper j 4. P. methysticum, In- 

 toxicating Pepper, or Ava; 5. P. reticvlatum, 

 Netted-leavcd Pepper; fl. P.adininnn, Hooked- 

 spiked Pepper ; '. P '. pi-llucidvm. Pellucid-leaved 

 Pepper ; 8. P. obtusifolhtm, Blunt-leaved Pep- 

 per. 



The first has a shrubby, very long, round, 

 smooth, jointed stem, swelling towards each 

 joint, slender, branched, scandent or trailing, 

 rooted at the joints : the leaves acuminate, 

 quite entire, equal at the base, flattish, bent back 

 a little at the top and edges, alternate, of a dirk 

 green colour, at the joints of the branches upon 

 strong sheath-like footstalks: the flowers ses- 

 sile, lateral, and terminating, in simple, longish 

 spikes, opposite to the leaves : the berry globu- 

 lar, of a red brown colour. It grows in the 

 East Indies and Cochinchina. 



Martyn observes, that " White Pepper was 

 formerly thought to be a different species from 

 the Black ; but it is nothing more than the ripe 

 berries deprived of their skin, by steeping them 

 about a fortnight in water ; after which they 

 are dried in the sun. The berries, falling to 

 the ground when over-ripe, lose their outer 

 coat, and are sold as an inferior sort of White 

 Pepper." 



The second species is a shrub from three to 

 ten feet in height : stem even: branches dicho- 

 tomous, jointed, subdivided, round, brownish 

 green : the leaves alternate, acuminate, not ob- 

 lique, nerved and veined, very thin, bright 

 green, smooth, paler underneath : the petioles 

 round, smooth : the joints swelling: the spikes 

 peduncled, opposite to the leaves, filiform, loose, 

 many-flowered: the flowers clustered : the berry 

 sessile, containing a single seed, double the size 

 of hempseed, black when ripe, of a taste slightly 

 pungent. It is a native of Jamaica and Hispa- 

 niola. 



The third has the stems shrubby, round, 

 smooth, branched, slender, climbing, but not 

 to any considerable height: the leaves differing 

 much in size and form ; but commonly heart- 

 shaped, pointed, entire, smooth, nerved, deep 

 green, alternate : the flowers small, in short 

 dense terminating spikes, which are nearly cj - 

 2 G 



