C E 



to the Bottom ; in which are con- 

 tained fever al round Seeds, wrapped 

 up in a /oft Down, and faftend to 

 the f<v 7?- corner "d pyramidal Placenta. 

 The Species are ; 



1. Ceiba nnticti fcliis, cc.udicc 

 aculeato. Plum. Nov. Gen. The 

 Silk Cotton -tree, with a thorny 

 Stem. 



2. Ceiba viticis foliis, caudice 

 glabro. Plum. Ntn). Gen. The Silk 

 Cotton-tree, with a fmooth Stem. 



Thefe two Tree? grow very plen- 

 tifully both in the Eafl and Wejl- 

 Indies, where they arrive to a pro- 

 digious Magnitude: the Weft-In- 

 di ins hollow the Trunks of thefe 

 Trees for making their Canoes, for 

 which' they arc chiefly valued. 



It is reported, that in the Ifland 

 of Cuba, in Ccluntbus's firft Voyage, 

 was feen a Cance made of an hol- 

 lowed Trunk of one of thefe Trees, 

 which was ninety-five Palms long, 

 and capable of containing one hun- 

 dred and fifty Men. And fome 

 Btodern Writers have affirmed, that 

 thf re are Trees now grr.v/ing in the 

 Weft- Indies fo large, as icarcely to 

 be fathom'd by fatteen IVIen, and fo 

 high, that an Arrow can fcaicely be 

 fhot to their Tops. 



The Wcc: of thefe Trees is of a 

 dark Colour, and too inert to fpin ; 

 fo that it is little valued: but feme- 

 times the Inhabitants ftufr Beds and 

 Pillows with it, tho' it is accounted 

 unwholfome to lie upon. The In- 

 habkants of the Wefl Indies call this 

 Silk cotton ; but the antient Ame- 

 rican Name for this Plant being 

 Ceiba, rather Plumi er hath continued 

 it under 'hat Name, and conftituted 

 a Genus for it. 



Theft Plants are preferved in 

 fome ccrious- Gardens in Europe, 

 where they thrive very well, if 

 placed in a Bark-Hove ; but as they 

 are Trees of a large Growth, it can 



hardly be expected to fee either Fruit 

 or Flowers from them in England \ 

 fince they grow to a great Magni- 

 tude, before they produce either in 

 their own Country. 



Thefe Plants may be raifed from 

 Seeds, which are eafily obtained from 

 the Weft-Indies : they muft be fown 

 on an Hot-bed early in the Spring ; 

 and when the Plants are come up, 

 they muft be each transplanted into 

 a (mall Pot filled with frefh light 

 Earth, and plunged into an Hot-bed 

 of Tanners Bark ; obferving to water 

 and (bade them until they have taken 

 Root ; after which they muft have 

 free Air let into the Hot-bed, in 

 proportion to the Warmth of the 

 Seafon ; for if the Glaffes are kept 

 too dole, the Plants will draw up 

 too weak. In a Month or five Weeks 

 time, thefe fmall Pots will be filled 

 with the Roots of the Plants ; there- 

 fore you muft (hake the Plants out 

 of them ; and after having pared oft 

 the outfide Roots, they muft be put 

 into Pots a Size larger, and plunged 

 again into the Hot-bed ; obferving 

 to manage them as was before di- 

 rected. When the Plants are grown 

 too tall to remain in the Hot-bed, 

 they muft be removed into the Bark- 

 ftove ; where, during the Summer- 

 feafon, they fhould have a large 

 Share of frefh Air ; but in Winter 

 they muft be kept pretty clofe; and 

 as the Plants increafe in Magnitude, 

 they fhould be fhifted into larger 

 Pot?, that their Roots may have 

 room to extend. If thefe Rule' be 

 duly obferved, the Plants will, in 

 two or three Year?, arrive to the 

 Height of ten or twelve Feet, and 

 be proportionably ftrong ; and be- 

 ing placed among other Plants, which 

 require the fame Degree of Heat, 

 they add to the Variety. 



There are fome other Sorts of 

 this Tree in ihS Spauifi Settlements 



of 



