R I 



wild in the Woods in Zeylon, and are 

 reckoned as good as thofe which are 

 cultivated ; but as they are difficult 

 to dig up, and grow fcattering at a 

 great Diftance from each other, fa 

 the Inhabitants of that Ifland plant 

 them in open Fields for Food. Thefe 

 are alfo cultivated by the Inhabit- 

 ants of Jamaica, and the other 

 Iflands in America ; and are efteemed 

 a very wholfome Food. The man- 

 ner of propagating them is the fame 

 as for Potatoes ; which is, to divide 

 the Roots into feveral Pieces, pre- 

 ferving a Bud or Eye to each, and 

 planting them in Drills, at about a 

 Foot and an half Diftance in the 

 Rows, and three Feet afunder Row 

 from Row. Thefe Drills mould be 

 made a Foot deep ; and, after the 

 Pieces of Roots are laid therein, 

 mull be covered over with the Earth 

 which came out of the Drills. After 

 this they require no farther Care 

 but to keep the Ground clear from 

 Weeds, until the Shoots are grown 

 flrong, when they will over-top the 

 Weeds, and prevent their growing. 

 In about ten Months after the plant- 

 ing, the Roots will be fully grown 

 for Ufe ; when they will, fome of 

 them, weigh five or fix Pounds per 

 Root or more : when they are taken 

 out of the Ground, they muft be 

 laid up in dry Sand to prefer ve them 

 for Ufe ; but the Sand muft be kept 

 very dry, othervvife the R'jots will 

 grow, and oftentimes they will rot 

 with much Moifture. With thefe 

 Roots the Planters feed their Ne- 

 groes inftead of Bread ; and they 

 grind the Roots to a Powder, and 

 make Puddens of it, in the fame 

 manner as Wheat-flour is ufed in 

 England: but the P^oots muft be 

 well foaked in Water before they are 

 ufed, to draw out the (harp biting 

 Tafte, which ^they have when taken 

 oat of the Ground. 



R I 



Thefe Plants are preferved in fome 

 curious Gardens in Europe for Va- 

 riety ; but as there is little Beauty 

 in them, they are hardly worthy of a 

 Place ; for they muft be kept in a 

 warm Stove, and plunged into the 

 Tanners Bark, otherwile they will 

 not thrive in this Country. The 

 Shoots of thefe Plants will rife to the 

 Height of ten or twelve Feet, and 

 twine about the Plants which are 

 near them ; fo that where thefe are 

 preferved, they mould be placed 

 near a Trelace on the Back-fide of 

 the Bark-bed ; and as the Shoots are 

 produced, they mould be trained 

 up to the Poles of the Trelace to 

 fupport them, that they may not 

 ramble over the Plants, and deftroy 

 them. The Shoots of thefe die to the 

 Root in Winter ; after which time 

 they mould not have much Water 

 given to them, left it mould rot 

 them ; but, during the Summer-fea- 

 fon, they muft be plentifully watered 

 in hot Weather. Thefe Roots muft 

 be taken up^in March , before they 

 begin to moot, and new-potted ; and 

 at the fame time, it will be proper to 

 cut off the old decayed Parts of the 

 Roots, preferving on'y the found, 

 and fuch as have good Buds or Eyes 

 for planting : for if the whole Roots 

 are planted, as they were taken out 

 of the Ground, they are very fubject 

 to rot ; fo that it is much better to 

 cut the Roots into feveral Parts, and 

 let thefe lie a few Days to heal their 

 Wounds, before they are planted. 

 Thefe mould be plunged into an 

 Hot bed, and mult have very little 

 Moifture until they (hoot; but after- 

 ward will require itmore plentifully. 



RJVINIA. 

 The Characters are ; 



The Flower is apclalous : the Em- 

 blement confcjis of four L^oi-fs, 

 which are placed circularly ', and ex - / 

 pand in form of a Rofe : the Point 'at 



