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DIRECTIONS FOR importing 



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In the firft place it ought to be carefully attended to, that 

 the feeds fhould be perfedly ripe when they are gathered; 

 and they ihould be gathered, if poffible, in dry weather; 

 afterwards they fliould be fpread thin on paper or matts, in 

 a dry airy room, but not in funfhine. The time neceflary 

 for this operation will vary according to the heat of the 

 climate, or feafon of the year, from a fortnight to a month, 

 or perhaps two may be ne^^eifary; the hotter the feafon, 

 the lefs time will fiafEce, This is to carry off their fuper- 

 fluous moifture, which if confined would immediately turn 

 to mouldinefs, and end in rottennefs. 



As there are two methods that have fuccecded, and put 

 us in poffefhon of feveral young plants of the true tea-tree 

 of China, I Ihall mention them both, in order to aflift the 

 colledor in bringing home the feeds of many valuable plants. 



The firft is by covering them with bees-wax in the 

 manner explained in Phil. Tranfaft vol. lviii. p. 75. 



It principally confifts in choofing only fuch feeds as are 

 perfe£lly found and ripe. To prove this, we mufi: cut 

 open fome of them to judge what fituation the reft may be 

 in, taking care to lay afide any that are outwardly defec- 

 tive, or marked wi^h the wounds of infeds. When a pro- 

 per choice of them is made, they Ihould be wiped extre- 

 mely clean, to prevent any dirt or moifture being inclofed ; 



each feed then fhould be rolled up carefully in a coat of foft 



bees-wax half an inch thick: The deep yellow Englifli 

 bees-wax is the heft. When you have covered the num- 

 ber you intend to inclofe, pour fome of this bees-wax 

 melted into a chip-box of fevcn inches long, four broad, 

 and three deep, till it is above half full; and juft before it 

 begins to harden, while it is yet fluid, put in the feeds 

 you have rolled up in rows till the box is near full; then 

 pour over them fome more wax while it is juft fluid, taking- 

 care when it is cold to flop all the cracks or chinks that 

 may have proceeded from the fhrinking of the wax, with 

 fome very foft wax; then put on the cover of the box, and 

 keep it in as cool and airy a place as you can. 



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