B E 



The Cup of the Flower is divided in- 

 to five Segments: The Seeds are co- 

 vered with a hard outer Coat, and 

 grow two or three together in a 

 Bunch. 



The Species ^rc; 



1 . Beta j al6a ; vet pallefcens quA 

 Cicla ojficinarum. C. B. The com- 

 mon white Beet. 



2. Betaj communis; five viridis. 

 C. B. The common green Beet. 



3. Beta} rubra-.^ vulgaris. C.B. 

 The common red Beet. 



4. Beta i rubra i radice RapA 

 rotunda. Boerh. Ind. The Turnip- 

 rooted red Beet, 



f. Beta \ rubra, major. C. B. 

 The great red Beet. 



6. Beta ; lutea, major, C. B, P. 

 The yellow Beet. 



7. Beta j maxima i Helveticay 

 latijjitno caule. Boerh. Ind, The 

 Swifs or Chard Beet. 



The two firft mentioned are pre- 

 ferved in Gardens for the Ufe of 

 their Leaves in Pot-herbs, but at 

 prefent they are not lb much e- 

 fteem'd as they have been, and are 

 but in few Gardens : The other 

 Sorts are propagated for their Roots, 

 which, in Winter, are boil'd as 



• Parfnips, (^c, and ierv'd up to 

 Table, and are by many greatly 

 efteemed : The Red Beet is the moil 

 commonly cultivated, and is often 

 ufed to garnifli Di flies withal: The 

 Srvifs Beet is by fome very much 

 efleemed : The large flat Ribs of 



. the Leaves are ftew'd, and after- 

 wards fry'd in Butter, v/hich is ac- 

 counted by many a delicate Difli. 



Thefe Beets are all propagated by 

 lowing their Seeds in February or 

 March, in a (deep loofe Soil (but 

 not over-dung'd) and niufl: be hoed 

 out after they are come up, fo as 

 to leave them ten or twelve Inches 

 afunder, for they fprcad very much, 



, and if they have not Room, their 



B E 



Roots will be very fmall. The 

 Gardeners near London, in order to 

 make the moft of their Ground, 

 fbw thefe Beets with Carrots upon 

 the fame Ground, and draw off 

 their Carrots in the Summer-time 

 for the Market, before the Beets 

 have grown very large j and when 

 the Carrots are gone, there will be 

 Room tor the Beets to grow, fb 

 that they have a double Crop ; and 

 if their Beets fliDuld happen to fail, 

 they plant a Crop of Savoys for the 

 Winter, fo that their Ground &l- 

 dom lies idle. 



BETONICA; Betony. 

 The Characters arej 



The Leaves are green, rough and 

 crenated on the Edges : The Flowers 

 are difpofed in a Spike : The upper 

 Crejl of the Flower is advanced and 

 divided into two Segments ; the Beard 

 or lower Fart of the Flower is divided 

 into three ; and the middle Segment 

 is bifid; each Flower is for the moji 

 part fucceeded by four naked Seeds. 



There are feveral Species of this 

 Plant cultivated in Botanick Gar- 

 dens ,- but as their Ufe and Beauties 

 are not fufficient to recommend 

 them to the Curious, {6 I Ihall pafs 

 them over with only mentioning 

 the common Sort which is ufed in 

 Medicine. 



Betonica ; purpurea. B. C, The 

 Common or Wood Betony. 



This Plant is very common in 

 Woods and fhady Places in moft 

 Parts of England : It may be pro- 

 pagated in Ihady Borders in a Gar- 

 den, by either lowing the Seeds in 

 Spring, or by parting the Roots, 

 which may be taken out of the 

 Woods : The Soil Ihould be rather 

 moift than dry, and not over 

 rich. 



BETONICA AQUATICA i vide 

 Scrophularia. 



1 + 



BE- 



