, 9oS JAMAICA. 



There are two methods which have fucceeded hi bringing over the 

 feeds of the China tea plant to Great Britain, and may ferve alfo for 

 the leeds of other valuable plants. The firft is, by covering them with 

 bees wax, after due precaution. It principally confifts in chocfing 

 only fuch feeds as are perfedly found and ripe ; thofe that are out- 

 wardly defective, or marked with the punfture of infers, muft be laid 

 afide. When a proper choice is made of them, they fhould be wiped 

 extremely clean, to prevent any dirt or moifture being inclofed ; each 

 feed fhould then be rolled up carefully in a coat of foft bees wax, half 

 an inch thick; the deep-yellow Englifli bees wax is the beft. When 

 you have covered the number you intend to inclofe, pour fome of this 

 bees wax, melted into a chip box of fix or feven inches long, four 

 broad, and three deep, till it is above half full; and juft before it be- 

 gins to harden, while it is yet fluid, put in the feeds you have rolled 

 up, in rows, till the box is near full ; then pour over them fome more 

 wax, while it is juft fluid, taking care, when it is cold, to flop all the 

 cracks or chinks (that may have proceeded from the flirinking of the 

 wax) with fome very foft wax; then put on the coser of the box, and 

 keep it hi a cool airy place. 



In order to preferve feeds from growing rancid from their long con- 

 finement in the voyage in hot weather, they may be put up in feparate 

 papers, with fine fand among them, to abforb any moifture. Thefe 

 papers fhould be packed clofe in cylindrical glafs, or earthen vefllels, 

 and the mouths covered with a bladder tied faft round the rims. The 

 veffels are then to be put into other veflels, fo large that the inner one- 

 may be covered on all fides for the fpace of two inches, with the fol- 

 lowing mixture of falts; half, common fait; the other half, to confift 

 of two parts faltpetre, and one part fal-ammoniac, both reduced to a 

 powder, and all thoroughly mixed together, to be placed about the in- 

 ner veflcl, rather moift than dry. Perhaps, if fuiall tight boxes, or 

 calks, or bottles of feeds were inclofed in cafks full of falts, it might be 

 of the fame ufe, provided the falts do not get at the feeds ; and as fal- 

 ammoniac may not eafily be met with, half common fait, and the other 

 half faltpetre, or common fait alone, might anfwcr the like end. 



The fmaller feeds being very apt to lolc their vegetative power by 

 long voyages through warm climates, it may be worth while to try 

 the following experiment, upon fuch as are known for certain to be 



found : 



