V E 



tHe Plants ieldom come up the 

 iame Summer ; the Seeds common- 

 ly remaining in the Ground, will 

 come up the fucceeding Spring, 

 notwithftanding the Place be dug 

 and fowed with other Seeds, as I 

 have often obferved. 



Thefe Plants will grow in al- 

 niofl: any Soil or Situation, and re- 

 quire no farther Care but to keep 

 'em clear from Weeds, until they 

 are lit for Ufe: They fhould al- 

 ways be cut while they are young, 

 for if they are grown pretty large, 

 they will become ftrong and bit- 

 ter. 



The fourth and fifth Sorts are 

 preferved in Botanick Gardens for 

 Variety, but are not ot any Ufe. 

 Thefe may be propagated by fbw- 

 ing their Seeds in the Spring, up- 

 on a Bed of dry Earth, where 

 they may remain to flower and 

 feed. 



Theie are all annual Plants, which 

 mufl: be fown every Year, or their 

 Seeds permitted to fcatter upon 

 the Ground, where they will come 

 up, and thrive without any other 

 Culture, than only to clear 'cm 

 from Weeds. 



VERATRUM,- White Hellebore. 

 The Characters are; 



The Flower is naked, conjlfling of 

 fiot Leaves, which expand in Form 

 of a Rofe, in the Middle of which a- 

 rifes the Tointal, furrounded by fix 

 Stamina, or Threads, which after- 

 vpards turns to a Fruit, in which, 

 for the mofl part, three membrana- 

 ceous sheaths are gathered into a lit- 

 tle Head, and are full of oblong 

 Seeds, refembling a Grain of M^jeat, 

 and encompafs'd, as it werCy by a 

 leafy Wing. 



The Species are j 



I. Veratrum ; fiore fubvlridi. 

 Tourn. White Hellebore with a 

 greenifli Flower. 



V E 



2. Veratrum; Jlore atro-rubintel 

 Tourn. White Hellebore with a 

 dark red Flower. 



The firft of theie Plants is thjiC 

 which is ordered for medicinal 

 Ule, and is, by much, the ftron- 

 ger and more acrid Plant; for 

 when both Sorts are placed near 

 each orher, the Snails will entirely 

 devour the Leaves of the fecorid 

 Sort, when at the fame time they 

 will {carcely touch thofe of the 

 firft. The fecond Sort doth alfo 

 appear fooner in the Spring, and 

 flowers near a Month before thq 

 firft Sort. 



Thefe Plants are very pretty Or-' 

 naments when planted in the mid- 

 dle of open Borders of the Pleafure- 

 Garden i for if they are placed near 

 Hedges or Walk, where generally 

 Snails do harbour, they will greatly 

 deface the Leaves, efpecially ot the 

 fecond Sort, by eating them full of 

 Holes ; and as a great Part of the 

 Beauty of thefe Plants confifts in 

 their broad-folded Leaves, Co whea 

 they are thus defaced, the Pleafure 

 is almoft loft. 



They may be propagated by 

 parting their Roots toward the lat- 

 ter end of February or the begin- 

 ning of March, juft before they be- 

 gin to fhoot, and fliould be planted 

 in a light, frefli, rich Soil, in which 

 they will thrive exceedingly, and 

 produce ftrong Spikes of Flowers. 

 Thefe Roots ftiould not be remo- 

 ved oftener than once in three 

 Years, by which time (if they like 

 the Soil) they will be very ftrong, 

 and afford many Heads to be taken 

 off; but if they are frequently 

 tranfplanted, it will prevent their 

 increaling, and caufe them to flow- 

 er very weak. 



You may alfo propagate thelc 

 Plants by Seeds, which ibould be 

 fown as foon as ripe, either in a 



H h a Bed 



