P E 



planted into a feparate Pot fill'd with 

 tre{h Earth, and plung'd into a mo- 

 derate Hot-bed, obferving to fhade 

 them from the Sun every Day until 

 they have taken new Root ; after 

 which time they mould have a large 

 Share of Air in warm Weather, and 

 mufc have plenty of Water. In about 

 fix Weeks or two Months after 

 planting, the Plants will get up to 

 reach the GhfFes of the Hot- bed ; 

 when they mould be fhifted into 

 larger Pots, and plunged into the 

 $ark-bed in the Srove; where they 

 mutt be lupponed by an Efpalier, 

 otherwife they will twill thcmieives 

 round whatever Plants grow near 

 them . 



Thefe Plants will bear the open 

 Air in Summer ; but they never 

 make any Progrefs when they are 

 f xpos'd, and rarely flower : there- 

 fore, in order to have thefe Plants in 

 Beauty, they fhoqld conftantly re- 

 main in the Stove, and mull have a 

 large Share of free Air in mild 

 Weather. When they are thus 

 managed, they will rife to the Height 

 of thirty Feet, or more, and wil? 

 produce Flowers every Summer. 



The fourth Sort hath been by 

 fome Perfons taken for Scammony ; 

 and is by fome Authors titled Mont- 

 pelier Scammony ; the Routs and 

 Branches abounding with a milky 

 Juice : but the true Turky Scammony 

 is a Species of Convolvulus, under 

 which Article it is before mention- 

 ed. 



PEPJWINCLE. f/Vfr Pervinca. 



PERSEA, The Avocado, or Ayp- 

 gato Pear. 



The Characters are ; 



it bath a rofe-Jhapcd ' Flower , con- 

 fining of fc feral Leaves, nvbicb are 

 ranged in a Circle', from ivbofe Mid- 

 dle arifes the Poinial, ivbicb after- 

 ward becomes a foft fltjby pcar-Jbaped 

 fruit, in rjjbch is an bard Stone or 



P E 



Sefd, having two Lobes, which is 

 included in a Membrane or Pericar- 

 pium. 



We know but one Species of this 

 Plant ; viz. 



Perse a. Cluf. Hift. The Avoca- 

 do, or Avogato Pear. 



This Tree grows in great Plenty 

 in the Spanijb Weft Indies t as alfo in 

 the Ifland of Jamaica ; and hath 

 been tranfplanted into molt of the 

 Englifi Settlements in the IVcfl- In- 

 die , on account of its Fruit ; which 

 is not only efteemed by the Inhabit- 

 ants as a Fruit to be eaten by way 

 of DefTert, but is very necefiary for 

 the Support of Life. The Fruit of 

 itfelf is very infipid ; for which 

 Reafon they generally eat it with the 

 Juice of Lemons and Sugar, to give 

 it a Piquancy. It is very nourilhing, 

 and is reckon'd a great Incentive to 

 Venery. Some People eat this Fruit 

 with Vinegar and Pepper. 



This Tree, in the warm Coun- 

 tries, where it is planted, grows to 

 the Height of thirty Feet, dr more ; 

 and has a Trunk as large as our 

 common. Apple-trees : the Bark is 

 fmcoth, and of an Am-colour ; the 

 Branches are befet with pretty large 

 oblong fmooth Leaves, like thofe of 

 Laurel, which are of a deep green 

 Colour, and continue on the Tree 

 throughout the Year: the Flowers 

 and Fruit are, for the mcft part, 

 prodae'd toward the Extremity of 

 the Branches. 



In Europe this Plant is preferved 

 as a Curiofity, by thofe Perfons who 

 arefkilful in collecting Exotic Plants: 

 and tho' there is little Hope of its 

 producing Fruit, yet, for the Beauty 

 of its mining green Leaves, which 

 continue thro' the Winter, it de- 

 ferves a Place in every curious Col- 

 lection of Plants. 



It is propagated by Seeds, which 

 mould be obtained as frelh as pof- 

 - ' iibk, 



