Augutt, 
———_ innocent, 
‘Pl. 46. 
Fig. 6. 
cet Ree ae ae Sad 
Fine SR ee eee Sanne Mig tans 
Since therefore the Fruit of the Mandrake is 
and pofleffes the very Qualities for 
which this Perfon mention’d in the Scriptures 
wanted it, how idle have been the Labours of 
thofe who would have explain’d away the Mean- 
ing of the Name. . From this let fuch Men learn, 
that to explain Scripture where natural Subjects 
are mention’d, the Method is to ftudy Nature; 
for certainly he knew thefe Things who made 
them. 
Culture of the MANDRAKE. 
5 
The Plant is hardy, and almoft univerfal. 
The warmeft Parts of Europe have it wild in 
common, with Greece, Egypt, and the reft of the 
Eaft,; nor, though England wants it, is it dény’d 
wholly to the more Northern. 
Its Culture in the Garden is eafy. 
In Places where it is native, it thrives beft in 
a light deep Soil, and open Expofure. This we 
are to imitate; and in fuch Places, and fuch Soil 
we muft raife it from the Seed; which it ripens 
freely with us. But this muft be done in the 
Garden where the Plants are to remain, 
great Article in the perfecting it is, never to 
“remove it. 
Let a fmall Spot, in fome open Part of the 
Gfound, be felected ; and the Mould being dug 
6. SPANISH. BULPOLS 
We have mentioned oe of the Jris’s of this 3 
Kind, all elegant, and all hardy: this is another, 
for both oe Reafons very well deferving the 
Care of the Gardener. Few of the Writers on 
Flowers have named it; and from the Singu- 
larity of its Colouring, we may thence conclude 
they have not feen it. 
The Tindts of the dulbous Iris are almoft uni- 
verfally blue, violet and yellow: 
made by a different Colouring of the upper or 
the lower Petals. 
De Bry has figured it under the Name of 
Tris bulbofa Hifpanica non defcripta: the new Spa- 
nifh bulbous Iris: the Variation in its Colour and 
Form, though very confiderable, are not enough 
to give it place as a new Species : it is only to: be 
confider’d as a Variety of the bulbous Iris we have 
before defcrib’d ; and which Linnaus calls [ris 
corollis imberbibus, foltts fubulato- caniculatis caule 
brevioribus: beardlefs Iris with hollow’d and Siew 
ed Leaves, fhorter than the Stalks. 
‘This Name the Student is to underftand as 
given to the Plant in its original State; for a- 
mone other of its Singularities in this Form, the 
Leaves often equal the Stalk in Height, 
_ The Root is confiderably large in Proportion 
to the Plant; and in Comparifon’ of the other 
for one 
a flefh colour’d 
Flower could not have mified their Notice who | 
defcribed as if diftin& Species, thofe flight Changes 
out four Foot ike let the Place be filled with Augutt 
any one of the light Compofts; {creenine it firft 
that there may remain no Lump or Stone in it 
to fplit the Root: for though the imaginary Re-! 
femblance of the human Fo orm depends upon the 
dividing. of the Root, the perfect flourifhing of 
the Plant will be owing to its running down to a 
great Depth fingle, and uninterrupted. 
On fuch a Bed of Earth let fome Seeds of the 
Mandrake, faved from a ftrong Plant, and dry- 
ed carefully, be fown in the Beginning of Sep- 
tember. 
Let the Bed be weeded and water’d occafion- 
ally ; and: when the Plants are fo far advanced 
that it can be feen which are the ftrongeft and 
moft promifing, let the weak ones’ be taken up, 
/and thefe left at two Foot and a half Diftance: 
: they will after this require only the common Care 
of weeding and watering, and they will flower 
annually, and produce ripe Fruit in full Perfec- 
tion. ‘The Depth to which the Root ftrikes, pre- 
vents all Neceffity of renewing the fuperficial Part 
of the Soil. 
We have fhewn in what Manner the Gardener ‘ 
is originally to prepare for it, and after this it 
will grow every Year ftronger; for we know no 
Plant whole Roor fo long retains its Vigour. 
TERS. | 
Kinds; whith: and hung with F ibres, 
The:Leaves are few, but long ; they are of a 
fine freth green, fharp pointed, ‘hollow’d, and of 
a firm Subftance. 
The Stalk is two Foot high, flender, and de- 
licate ; of a pale greenifh Colour ting’d often 
with red, and not at all branch’d. 
! 
The Leaves on it are oblong, narrow, and 
fharp pointed: They are naturally of a paler 
green than thofe from the Root, but often be- 
come redifh, efpecially the lower ones. 
One Flower naturally terminates the Stalk, and 
this is extreamly delicate: it confifts as the other 
tris’s, of fix Petals, three of which turn down- 
ward, three ftand up, and: is furnifh’d alfo’ with 
three leafy Heads to the Style. 
The univerfal Colour is a pale flethy ‘red. 
The three upper Petals are’ paler; the three 
lower deeper, and each mark’d with a yellow 
Spot toward the End ; fometimes alfo thefe lower 
Petals are ftreaked with white: 
- 
The Characters | are the fame with the other 
| dnis?si 
The Flower has no Cup. 
The fix Petals unite at their Bafes; and there 
are three Filaments with lone Buttons, and a 
fingle Style with a three-parted Head. This 
fhews the Plant like the others, to be one of 
the 
t 
Seimentinened 
