B* U 



Thofe which are put into Pots fhould 

 have a (hady Situation during the 

 Summer-feafon, and mull be fre- 

 quently watered in dry Weather ; 

 but in Winter they mould be placed 

 under an Hot-bed-frame, where they 

 may be protected in (harp Frofts; 

 but in mild Weather they mould 

 have as much free Air a> pofftble ; 

 for they are fo hardy, as to endure 

 the Cold of our ordinary Winters 

 very well in the open Air, without 

 any Shelter. 



Thefe Plants may alfo be multi- 

 plied by parting of their Roots in 

 the Spring, after the manner of the 

 Auricula; but you mult be careful 

 not to part them too fmall, left you 

 deltroy them ; for if each Head hath 

 not good Roots, they feldom fuccetd, 

 fo that they are not to be increafed 

 very fall in this Method. 



BULBOCASTANUM, Earth- 

 nut, or Pig-nut. 



The Characters are ; 



// is an umbelliferous Plant , with 

 a rofe Jhaped Flower, confifling of 

 many Lea-ves placed orbicularly, and 

 fitting on the Empalement ; which 

 turns to a Fruit compofed of fmall ob- 

 long fmooth Seeds, which are fometimes 

 chanelled, gibbous on one Side, but 

 plain on the other : to thefe Notes 

 mujl be added, A fiejby tuberous 

 Root. 



The Species are ; 



1. BULBOCASTANUM majuS, folio 



apii. C. B. P. Greater Earth-nut, 

 with a Parfley-leaf. 



2. Buleocastanum minus faxa- 

 tile, peucedani folio. Tourn. Smaller 

 rock Earth-nut, with a Swines-fen- 

 nel-leaf. 



3. Buleocastanum majus Al- 

 pnum,pafiinacte folio . Tourn. Greater 

 Alpine Earth-nut, with a Parfnep- 

 leaf. 



4. Bulbocastanum tenuiter in- 

 tifo folio <f Luftanicum. Tourn. For- 



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tugal Earth-nut, with a fine -cut 

 Leaf. 



5. Bulbocastanum Creticurtt, 

 radice napiformi. Tourn. Cor. Candy 

 Earth nut, with a Navew root. 



6. Bulbocastanum Creticum t 

 ferulee folio, femine oblongo. Tourn. 

 Cor. Candy Earth-nut, with a Giant- 

 fennel leaf, and oblong Seeds. 



The flrft Sort is very common in 

 fliady Woods and Paftures in divers 

 Parts of England: it rifes early in 

 the Spring, and flowers in May. In 

 'July the Seeds are ripe, foon after 

 which time the green Leaves begin 

 to decay, which is the proper Seafon 

 to take up the Roots for Ufe, be- 

 caufe they may be more readily 

 found before their Leaves are quite 

 decayed ; and if they are taken 

 up, while the Plants are in Vigour, 

 the Roots will be fmall, and not 

 near fo firm. Some People dig up 

 thefe Roots, and eat them raw, which 

 tafte very much like Cheitnuts, and 

 are no unpleafant Morfel ; but when 

 they are boiled, they are very de* 

 licious Food, eaten with Butter and 

 Pepper, and are eiteemed very nou- 

 rishing. 



The other Sorts are not Natives 

 of England ; fo are rarely to be 

 found, except in Botanic Gardens, 

 where they are preferved for the 

 fake of Variety, more than any 

 Beauty there is in their Appear- 

 ance. 



They are all very hardy Plants in 

 refpeel to Cold ; fo may be eafily 

 propagated by fowing their Seeds on 

 a moiit fhady Border, foon after they 

 are ripe; for if they are kept out of 

 the Ground till Spring, they feldom 

 fucceed fo well as when they are 

 fown in Autumn. When the Plants 

 appear in the Spring, they muft be 

 carefully cleared from Weeds ; and 

 where they are too near, they mould 

 be thinned, fo as to leave them three 

 P 3 «r 



