CHAP, xx SYLVA 199 



their stalls ; 'tis certainly the most plyant and best 

 bands to fagot with. The leaves and berries are 

 astringent, and make an excellent gargle for loose 

 teeth, sore throats, and to stop fluxes : The leaves 

 decocted to a lie, not only colour the hairs black, but 

 fasten their roots ; and the bark of the root, macerated 

 under ground, well beaten, and often boil'd, serves 

 for birdlime. 



19. The American yucca is a hardier plant than we 

 take it to be, for it will suffer our sharpest Winter, 

 (as I have seen by experience) without that trouble 

 and care of setting it in cases, in our conservatories for 

 hyemation ; such as have beheld it in flower (which 

 is not indeed till it be of some age) must needs admire 

 the beauty of it ; and it being easily multiplied, why 

 should it not make one of the best and most ornament- 

 al fences in the world for our gardens, with its natural 

 palisadoes, as well as the more tender, and impatient 

 of moisture, the aloes, does for their vineyards in 

 Languedoc, Gfc. but we believe nothing improvable, 

 save what our grand-fathers taught us. Finally, let 

 tryal likewise be made of that thorn, mentioned by 

 Capt. Liggon in his History of Earbadoes ; whether it 

 would not be made grow amongst us, and prove as 

 convenient for fences as there ; the seeds, or sets 

 transported to us with due care. And thus, having 

 accomplished what (by your commands) I had to 

 offer concerning the propagation of the more solid, 

 material, and useful trees, as well the dry, as aquatical ; 

 and to the best of my talent fenc'd our plantation in : 

 I should here conclude, and set a bound likewise to 

 my discourse, by making an apology for the many 

 errors and impertinencies of it, did not the zeal and 

 ambition of this illustrious Society to promote and im- 



