P H 



P H 



a*id put into the full Ground, they 

 will perfect their Seeds much better 

 than thofe which remain in the Pots. 



As thefe Plants feldom continue 

 in Health above four or five Years, 

 it will be proper to raife a Supply of 

 young ones to fucceed them. 



PHYTOLACCA, American 

 Nightmade. 



The Characters are ; 



The Flower conffs of fever a I 

 Lea-ves, which are placed in a circu- 

 lar Order, and expand in form of a 

 Rofe ; out of whofe Centre rifes the . 

 Pointal, which afterward Incomes a 

 foft Fruit, or almojl globular Berry 

 full of Seeds, placed orbicularly : to 

 which Jhould be added, That the Flow- 

 ers and Fruit are produced on a Bunch 

 like Currant. 



The Species are ; 



1. Phytolacca Americana , ma- 

 jori fruclu. Tourn. American Night- 

 fhade, with large Fruit, commonly 

 call\l^/rg-wtf//Poke, orPorke Pbyfic. 



2. Phytolacca Mexicana, bac- 

 cis feffilihus. Hart. Elth. Mexican 

 Phytolacca, whofe Berries grow clofe 

 to the Stalk. 



The firft of thefe Plants is very 

 common m Virginia, New-England, 

 and Maryland, where the Inhabit- 

 ants take a Spoonful or two of the 

 Juice of the Root, as a familiar 

 Purge. The Berries thereof are full 

 of a purple Juice, which gives a fine 

 Tincture to Paper, from whence it 

 hath the Name : this will not abide 

 long, but fades in a mort time: 

 therefore, if there could be a Me- 

 thod found to fix this Colour, it 

 might be of confiderable Ufe ; for 

 it is one of the moft beautiful pur- 

 ple Dyes yet known. 



It may be propagated by fowing 

 Seeds in the Spring upon a Bed of 

 light rich Earth; and when the 

 Plants come up, they mould be 

 tranfplanted into the Borders of 

 large Gardens, allowing them Space 



to grow ; for they mull not be 

 planted too near other Plants, left 

 they overbear and deftroy them ; 

 for they grow to be very large, es- 

 pecially it the Soil be good. When 

 they have taken Root, they will re- 

 quire no farther Care but only to 

 clear them from Weeds, and in Au- 

 tumn they will produce their Flow- 

 ers and Fruit: but when the Froft 

 comes on, it will cut down the Stems 

 of thefe Plants, which conftantly de- 

 cay in Winter; but their Roots will 

 abide in the Ground, and come up 

 again the fucceeding Spring. There 

 is no great Beauty in this Plant ; but, 

 for Variety, a few of them may be 

 placed in the Borders of large Gar- 

 dens, fince they require but little 

 Culture ; and as they grow very tall, 

 they will make a Figure in the Bor- 

 ders of large Gardens, efpecially in 

 the Autumn, when the Spikes cf 

 purple Fruit are ripe. I have'feen 

 Plants of this Kind upward of fix 

 Feet high, when they have been in 

 good Ground. As thefe Plants fel- 

 dom continue longer than three or 

 four Years, young ones mould be 

 raifed to fucceed them. 



The fecond Sort is a Native of 

 the warmer Parts of America-, {<y 

 will not live in the open Air in- 

 England. This has been lately in- 

 trodue'd into fome of the Britijb 

 Iflands in America, from the Spanifb 

 Wcf -Indies, where it grows fpon- 

 taneoufly ; and the Inhabitants cut 

 the green Herb, and boil it fori 

 Spinach, which they eat without any 

 ill Effect, tho' it has been by fomc 

 Perfons thought to have the Quality 

 of Nightmade. 



The Seeds of this Sort mould b 

 fown upon an Hot-bed early in th 

 Spring ; and when the Plants are £j 

 to tranfplant, they mould be pi' 

 into Pots; and after they have a< 

 quir'd Strength, may be enured i 

 bear the open Air, where they mi 

 rema 



