M E 



trlvance to amufe People, until 

 they have more maturely corxii- 

 der'd their Parts. 



The Fruit of both Sorts are 

 eaten in the Weji-Imlies : They have 

 a very grateful Acidity in their 

 Tafte, which is extremely agreea- 

 ble to the Inhabitants of thoie 

 warm Countries : But I don't know 

 any farther Ufe of the Plants. 



MELOCARDUUSi lide Melo- 

 cadius. 



MELON i inde Melo. 



XvlELONGENA ; iMad-AppIe. 

 The Characters are ; 



7he llotcer conffis of one Leaf, 

 pjap'd like a M'^heel, and cut into 

 many Segments : From the Flower- 

 Cup arifcs the Ovary, which bt- 

 comes a flejliy Fruit, full of Kidney- 

 jhafd Seeds. 



The Species are ; 



1. Melongena i />'«(^« oblongo, 

 •violaceo. Totirn, Mad-Apple, with 

 ^n oblong Violet-colour 'd Fruit. 



2. Melon GEN a; fraciu oblongo, 

 dlho. Tourn. Mad-Apple, with an 

 oblong white Fruit. 



5. Melokgena i fpinofa frtuhi ro- 

 tunda, croceo. Tourn. Prickly Mad- 

 Apple, with a round Sathon-co- 

 lour'd Fruit. 



4. Melongena j fruclu rotunda, 

 eum fpinis 'uiolaceis. Tourn. Mad- 

 Apple, with a round Fruit and Vi- 

 olet-colour"d Prickles. 



There are feveral other Varieties 

 of this Plant, which diifer in the 

 Size, Form or Colour of the Fruit, 

 or in the Shape of their Leaves i 

 but thofe here mention'd, are all 

 that I have obferv'd in the Englifli 

 Gardens. 



Thefe Plants are greatly cultiva- 

 ted in the Gardens of Italy, Spain 

 and Barbary, in which Places the 

 Inhabitants eat the Fruit of them 

 boird with fat Fiefh, putting there= 



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to fbme fcrap'd Cheefe, which 

 they preferve in Vinegar, Honey 

 or Sak-Pickle all Winter, to pro- 

 voke a Venereal Appetite: But in 

 Summer, when the Fruit is jufl 

 ripe, they ufually gather them, 

 and make them up into Puddings 

 with feveral Sorts of Spices, and 

 other Ingredients : Which Difli the 

 Italians are very fond of. 



They are propagated by Seeds, 

 tvhich muft be Town upon a mo- 

 derate Hot-bed in March 5 and 

 when the Plants come up, they 

 mull be tranfplanted into another 

 Hot-bed about four Inches afunder, 

 observing to water and fliade them 

 until they have taken Root : after 

 which you muft give them a great 

 Share of Air when the Weather is 

 warm, otherwife they will draw 

 up very weak : They muft aUb be 

 frequently water d, without which 

 they will make but a very indiffe- 

 rent Progrefs: But when they are 

 grown fo ftrong as to fill the Fram.e 

 (which v/ill be by the middle of 

 May} you muft tranfplant therri 

 out into a rich Spot of Ground at 

 two Feet Diftance, obferving to 

 prefer ve as much Earth to the 

 Roots as poffible when you take 

 them up, otherwife they are fub- 

 jett to miicarry. You muft ob- 

 ierve to water them plentifully un- 

 til they have taken Root, after 

 which they will require but very 

 little Care more than to keep them 

 clear from Weeds, and in very dry 

 Weather to ?ive them fbme Wa- 

 ter. 



About the Middle of June, the 

 Fruit Vv^ill appear; at which time, 

 if the Weather be very dry, you 

 muft often water them, which 

 will cauie the Fruit to grow very 

 large, and increafe their Number : 

 Toward the latter End of July 



their 



