108 



was then noticed by our author ; the fruits of this species- are 

 black and also -white in colour and likewise "round" in their 

 shape. 



Wild Purcelane. Portidac^a Oleracea : this seems to be the 

 plant intended by " wild" as a smaller and more depauperated 

 form of the garden sorts, which becomes larger by high and 

 nutritious cultivation. Parkmson' s Theater of Plants, p. 

 723, designates the plant thus as above stated. 



Wood wax, wherewith they dye many colours. If this is the 

 Genista tmctoria, as the familiar name seems to imply, it 

 would appear that if introduced, this weed was already estab- 

 lished to considerable extent as early as the time of the visit to 

 New England of our author. 



Red and Black Currants. The black currant is Ribes Jlori- 

 dum, resembling Ribes nigrum of Europe. The red currant, 

 Ribes rubrufin, has been observed of indigenous growth in the 

 cold woods and bogs of North America, and if it came under 

 the observation of Mr. Josselyn, Gent , it would help to prove 

 it a native of both Europe and this country. 



Spunck. Some corky and fibrous species of Polyporus, which 

 is described as an " excresence growing out of the Black Birch. 

 The Indians use it for Touch-wood and therewith they help the 

 Sciatica or Gout of the Hip or any great Ach, burning the 

 Patient with it in two or three places as upon certain Veins." 



II. Of Such Plants as are Proper to the Country. 



Indian Wheat, of which there are three sorts, Yellow red 

 and Blew. This " Indian Wheat" is no other than our Indian 

 Corn. i^Zea Mays.) We are told that " the Blew is com- 

 monly ripe before the other a month : Five or six grains of 

 Indian Wheat hath produced in one year six hundred." This 

 " blew" variety was probably a Canadian sort cultivated by the 

 Indians and brought here by the traffic between the different 

 tribes. The yield seems very little to us, but we should re- 

 member that the soil was unmanured and the size of the ears 

 quite short and small. 



