S I 



other Culture, but to keep them 

 clear from Weeds : in June they 

 will flower, and the Seeds will ripen 

 in Augujl ; and the Plants will foon 

 after perifli. 



SISARUM, Skirret. 

 The Characlers are ; 



It produces its Flowers in an Um- 

 bel, which confijl of federal Leaves 

 placed circularly ', and expand in form 

 of a Rofe : the Empalement afterward 

 becomes a Fruit , eompofed of two nar- 

 row Seeds, that are gibbous and fur- 

 rowed on one Side, but plain on the 

 other : to thefe Marks mufl be added, 

 That the Roots are Jhaptd like long 

 Turneps, and are joined to one Head. 



We have but one Species of this 

 Plant; viz. 



Sis arum Germanorum. C. B. P. 

 Skirret. 



This is one of the wholfomeft and 

 moft nouriming Roots that is culti- 

 vated in Gardens ; and yet it is at 

 prefent very rare to meet with it in 

 the Gardens near London : what may 

 have been the Caufe of its not being 

 more commonly cultivated, I can't 

 imagine, fince there are many Kit- 

 chen-gardens which are proper for 

 this Plant. 



It may be propagated two ways ; 

 n>i%. either by fowing the Seeds, or 

 planting the Slips. The former Me- 

 thod is what I v\ ould chiefly recom- 

 mend ; becaufe the Roots which 

 come from Seeds are much larger 

 than thole produced from Off-fets, 

 and are much tenderer. The Sea- 

 fon for fowing the Seed is in the 

 Beginning of April, and upon a moid 

 rich Soil, which mould be well dug 

 and looiened ; and being laid level, 

 the:eeds mould be fown thereon, 

 and then trod in, after the common 

 Method of lowing Radifhes, raking 

 the Ground over them fmooth. 



In May the Plants will come up, 

 at which time the Ground mould be 

 Vou III, 



S I 



hoed over, as is pra&ifed for Carrots, 

 to deftroy the Weeds, and to cut 

 out the Plants where they are too 

 clofe, leaving them the firft Hoeing 

 about three Inches afunder ; but at 

 the fecond Hoeing, which mould be 

 performed about a Month after the 

 firft, they mould be cut out to fix 

 Inches apart at leaft, obferving to 

 cut down all the Weeds ; and, du- 

 ring the Summer-feafon, the Weeds 

 mould be diligently hoed down, as 

 fair, as they are produe'd ; for if 

 thefe Plants are ftifled by Weed*, 

 &e. they feldom come to good 



When their Leaves are deca^ 'd, 

 their Roots may be taken up for 

 Ufe ; but this mould be done only 

 as they are wanted ; for if they are 

 kept long above-ground, they will 

 be good for little. The Leaves com- 

 mon, y decay in Oclober ; fo that from 

 that time, till the Beginning of 

 March, when they begin to moot 

 aga:n, they arc in Seal on ; but after 

 they have mot forth green Leaves, 

 the Roots become fticky, and are 

 not fo good. 



The Method of propagating this 

 Plant from Off-fets is as follows: 

 About the Latter-end of February, 

 or Beginning of March, you mould 

 dig a moift rich Spot of Ground, in 

 Size proportionable to the Quantity 

 of Plants intended ; then you lhould 

 carefully dig up the old Roots, from 

 which you lhould flip off* all the Off- 

 fets, prefer ving their Buds on the 

 Crown of each intire ; after this 

 you fhouM open a Drill crofs the 

 Spot of Ground with a Spade, in a 

 llrait Line, about eight or nine 

 Inches deep; into which you mould 

 place the Off-fets, about fix Inches 

 apart, as upright as poffible ; then 

 fill the Dnil up again with the Earth 

 which came out of it ; and at a Foot 

 Ditfancefrom thefirit, make another 

 Trench, laying the Off tets therein 



* N .31 



