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like thofe of the common Bay, of 

 a pale, green Colour, and white on 

 their Backfides. In May they begin 

 to produce their Flowers, which 

 are white and very fragrant ; thefe 

 are continued two Months or more, 

 durinj' which time the Woods are 

 perfumed with their Odour. When 

 the Petals of the Flowers are de- 

 cayed, the Pointal becomes a Coni- 

 cal Fruit, about the Size of a large 

 Wallnut, thick fet with Knobs or 

 Rilings, from each of which, when 

 the Fruit is ripe, are difcharged flat 

 Seeds, of the Size of Kidney-Beans, 

 having a Kernel within a thin Shell, 

 covered with a Red Skin. Thefe 

 red Seeds, when difcharged from 

 their Celis, tall not to the Ground, 

 but are fupported by fmall white 

 Threads of about two Inches in 

 length, which make a very beauti- 

 ful Appearance. The Fruit is at 

 firll Green 5 when ripe, Red, and 

 when declining turns Brown. This 

 Tree grows naturally in moid 

 Places, and often in fhallow Water, 

 and what is very extraordinary, they 

 being remov'd on high dry Ground, 

 become more regular and handfome, 

 and are more proHfick of Flowers 

 and Fruit. They ufually lofe their 

 Leaves in Winter, unlefs it be very 

 moderate. 



The fecond Sort is eftcemed the 

 moll beautiful Tree in America, 

 where they ufually grow in moiit 

 fwampy Woods, and do often rife 

 to the Height of lixty or feventy 

 Feet ; the Leaves are much larger 

 than thofe of our common Laurel, 

 and are of a bright green Colour j 

 the Flowers are very large, of a 

 "white Colour, and very fragrant. 

 The Fruit is fnap'd like that of the 

 former Sort, but are much larger, 

 of a purple Colour when ripe, and 

 do emit the Seeds in like manner, 

 lb that in Autumn they make a 



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moft beautiful Appearance, atid in 

 May and June, when they are in 

 Flower, the circumambient Air is 

 perfuQied with their Odour: the 

 Leaves of thefe Trees remaining 

 Green all the Winter do afford ao 

 agreeable Profpeft in that Seafon, 

 They are of quick Growth, and 

 generally rife with ftrait Stems, 

 which is a confiderable Addition to 

 their Beauty j and iince they are 

 hardy enough to refill the Cold ot 

 our Climate in the open Air, I 

 doubt not but we Ihail have the 

 Pleafure of feeing their Flowers in 

 a few Years ; there being feveral 

 Trees planted in the Gardens of 

 fome curious Perfons near London, 

 where they have endured the Cold 

 of four or five Winters witiiout 

 Shelter, and do make confiderable 

 Progrels every Year. 



Theie Plants are both of them 

 propagated from Seeds, for they 

 do not take Root well by Laying, 

 nor do thofe few Plants which 

 have been obtain'd from Layers 

 thrive, nor are they ever like to 

 make handfome Plants ■■> but as there 

 are no Plants in England which are 

 likely to produce Seeds in many 

 Years, fo there is no way to obtain 

 them, but by procuring their Seeds 

 from A-merica,: Thefe Seeds (hould 

 be fown in Tubs of Earth, fo foon 

 as they are ripe, (for if they are 

 kept out of the Ground any time, 

 they will not grow) thefe Tubs 

 fhould be fent over to England as 

 foon as polfible, and when they 

 arrive, they fliould be placed on a 

 gentle Hot-bed, obferving to fhade 

 them from the Sun, and often re- 

 frefh them with Water : In this 

 Situation the Plants will appear 

 above Ground in a Month or five 

 Weeks, and if they are kept moift 

 and fhaded .from the Sun, will 

 make confiderable Progreis. In 



July 



