M E 



ted in England^ and will continue 

 much longer; for if the Ground 

 be duly ftirred between each Crop, 

 and the laft Crop fed, as hath been 

 dire£led, the Plants will continue 

 in Vigour twenty Years or more 

 ■without renewing, provided they 

 are not permitted to feed, which 

 will weaken the Roots more than 

 four times cutting it would do. 



The Hay of this Plant fbould be 

 kept in clofe Barns, it being too 

 tender to be kept in Reeks open 

 to the Air as other Hay; but it 

 will remain good, if wei dr)^d be- 

 fore it be carry'd in, three Years. 

 The People abroad reckon an Acre 

 of this Fodder fufticient to keep 

 three Horfes all the Year round. 



MEDICA COCHLEATA ; Snail- 

 Tretoil. 



The Chariiciers are ; 



Ihefe Plants dijfer from the for- 

 mer in the Fruity -which of thefe 

 Kinds are J^ap'd like a Snail, 



There are great Numbers of 

 Sorts of this Plant which are pre- 

 ferv'd in Botanic k Gardens for Va- 

 riety ; but I fhall in this Place only 

 mention two or three of the molt 

 curious Sorts, which are cultiva- 

 ted in Gardens for the Oddnefs of 

 their Fruit. 



The Species are ; 



1. Mehica -y fiutellata. J. B. The 

 Snail-Trefoil, commonly caWd in the 

 Seed-JJ:;ops Snails. 



2. Medic A j orbiculata. J, B. 

 Flat, round Snail-Trefoil. 



3 . Medica j cochleata, fpincfa, 

 eehinis magnis, utrinque turbinatisy 

 cum fpmnlis rejiexis. Rail Hifl. 

 Prickly cochleated Medick, with a 

 large Head turbinated on every 

 Side with reflex*d Spines, cotnfmnly 

 c^dVd, Horns and Hedge-hog. 



4. Medica ; marina. Lob, Icorh. 

 Sea hledick or Snaii-Trefoil. 



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The two firft Sorts are common 

 in the Englijlj Gardens, their Seeds 

 being frequently fold in the Seed- 

 ihops in London ; but the third Sort 

 is pretty rare at prelent in Eng- 

 land. 



The three Sorts may be propa- 

 gated by fowing their Seeds upon 

 a warm dry Border the Beginning 

 of April, obferving always to do it 

 in dry Weather ; for if the Ground 

 be very wet, or there fliould hap- 

 pen much Rain foon after they 

 are put into the Earth, it very of- 

 ten burils and deftroys the Seeds j 

 but if fome gentle Showers fall a- 

 bout a Week or ten Days after the 

 Seeds are fown, it will bring up 

 the Plants in a fl:iort Time after. 

 When they are come up, they 

 fhould be carefully cleared from 

 Weeds, and thinn'd out to about a 

 Foot amnder or more (l^or they 

 mufl remain where they were 

 fown, feldom fucceeding when 

 tranfplanted ;) and after this, they 

 will require no farther Care but 

 only to keep them clear from 

 Weeds ; and in July rhey will 

 flower, and their Fruit will ripen in 

 a fhort Time after : When the Plant 

 is in full Beauty, the firft Sort, at 

 a fmall Diftance, will appear as if 

 it had a great Number of Snails 

 upon it; and the third Sort, ha- 

 ving large rough Heads, will make 

 a very good Appearance : For which 

 fingular Oddnefs, a good G.irden 

 fhould always hav^e a few Plants 

 of each Sort, elpecially fince they 

 require very little Care to cukivatc 

 them. 



When the Fruit is full ripe, it 

 fhould be gather'd and laid by in a 

 dry Piace for the Seeds, for it they 

 are permitted to remain upon tiie 

 Plants, and there fhould Rain hap- 

 pen, the Seeds would fprout in the 

 Heads, and be deflroy^d. 



The 



