F R I 



F R U 



I lish : the leaves three or four, sometimes five 

 or six, grass-like, distantly alternate, hair' em- 

 bracing,"" round on the under, and hollow on the 

 upper side, somewhat twisted and glaucous: the 

 flower usually single, sometimes two, or even 

 three, on the top of the stem, large, pendulous, 

 at first somewhat pyramidal, but afterwards bell- 

 shaped, chequered with purple and white, or 

 purple and greenish yellow. It is a native of the 

 southern countries' of Europe, flowering in 

 April and May. 



There are numerous varieties; the chief are, 

 the Common Purple, the Blood Red, the Great 

 Purple or Red, the White, the Double Blush, 

 the Pure Yellow, the Chequered Yellow, the 

 Great Yellow Italian, the Small Italian, the 

 Small Portugal Yellow, the Black, and the 

 Spanish Black. 



The second species has a doubb fleshy bulb- 

 ous root : the leaves are broader, and of a deeper 

 green than in the first; the lower leaves are op- 

 posite, but those above alternate : the stem a 

 foot and half high, terminated by "two flowers 

 of an obscure yellow colour, and spreading more 

 at the brim than those of the first sort, but turned 

 downwards in the same manner. It flowers three 

 weeks after it ; and is a native of France. 



The third has a large round scaly root of a 

 yellow colour, and a strong foxy odour : the 

 stalk rises to the height of four feet or upwards ; 

 it is strong, succulent, and garnishee! two-thirds 

 of the length on every side with long narrow 

 leaves ending in points, which are smooth and 

 entire : the upper part of the stalk is naked, a 

 foot in length : the flowers come out all round 

 the stalk upon short foot-stalks, which turn 

 downward, each sustaining one large flower. 

 Above these rises a spreading tuft of green leaves, 

 which are erect, and called the Coma. It flowers 

 the beginning of April, and the seeds ripen in 

 July. 



The chief varieties are; those with yellow 

 flowers, with large flowers ; and with double 

 flowers; but that which has two or three whorls 

 of flowers above each other makes the finest 

 appearance, though it seldom produces its 

 flowers after this manner the first year after 

 removing. 



The fourth species has a large round root : 

 the stem three feet high, the lower part closely 

 garnished on every side with leaves, which arc 

 three inches long and half an inch broad, of a 

 gray colour, and twisied obliquely : the flowers 

 are in a loose spike at the top, forming a pyra- 

 mid: shorter than the other sorts, spreading wider 

 at the brim, and not bent down ; of a dark pur- 

 ple colour; appearing in May. They seldom 

 produce seeds in this climate. 



There is a variety which has a much shorter 

 stem and smaller leaves ; the stem branches 

 out at the top into several small peduncles, each 

 sustaining one dark -coloured flower. It is term- 

 ed Dwarf Persian Lily. 



Culture. — The common mode of propagation 

 in all these plants is by oft'-sets from the sides 

 of their mots, separated every second or third 

 year; the proper time for which is when their 

 flower-stalks decay, taking the whole root up 

 entirely, and separating them into distinct roots, 

 then planting the smaller off-sets by themselves 

 in nurserv-beds, to remain a year or two, to ac- 

 quire a (lowering state; and the larger roots, 

 where they are to remain for flowering. 



They are likewise capable of being propa- 

 gated by seed ; but this is principally practised 

 for new varieties ; and the process is tedious; 

 the Fritillary and Persian Lily being three years, 

 and the Crown Imperial sometimes six or seven, 

 before they flower in perfection. The seeds 

 may be sown in the beginning of autumn, in 

 large wide pots, or in boxes of similar width, 

 filled with light mellow earth, each sort sepa- 

 rate, covering them evenly with fine earth half 

 an inch deep, placing the pots, &c. to have only 

 the morning sun all summer, or during hot 

 dry weather, and in the full sun in winter and 

 spring: the plants will appear in the spring, 

 which, after the first or second year's growth, 

 when the leaves decay in summer, may be taken 

 up, and the whole planted immediately in 

 nursery-beds, in shallow drills four inches asun- 

 der, to remain till they flower. 



They are all hardy, and highly ornamental 

 plants for the borders, clumps, and other parts ; 

 the fourth sort being set backwards, the third 

 in the middle, and the others forwards. 



FRUIT, the produce of various sorts of trees 

 used as food, either in a raw or prepared state. 



All sorts of fruit should be gathered from the 

 trees or plants when perfectly dry, and never 

 when in a dewy or wet condition. In many of 

 the finer and more delicate fruits, it is of ad- 

 vantage not to permit them to remain on the 

 trees till they are over ripened. In gathering 

 them, the bloom should always be preserved 

 upon them as much as possible. In the almond 

 or peach, plum, and finer cherry kinds, it is 

 usual to deposit them as soon as gathered, 

 in shallow sieves or baskets, spread aver with 

 leaves. 



In the gathering of apples and pears — as those 

 which are shaken or beaten from the trees never 

 keep well — Mr. Forsyth advises, that they 

 should be all hand-picked, by means of a stage 

 or steps contrived for the purpose, and other 

 apparatus necessary for receiving and conveying 



