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thefe Plants naturally fallen them- 

 felves to the Stems of the Trees, it 

 is with great Difficulty they are kept 

 alive, when they have not this Aflift- 

 ance: therefore whoever would 

 preferve any of thefe Plants in Eu- 

 rope, mould plant them in Tubs of 

 Earth, near the Stem of fome vigo- 

 rous American Tree, which requires 

 a Stove, and can bear a great deal 

 of Water ; becaufe the Vanilla's 

 muft be plentifully watered in the 

 Summer-feafon, otherwife they will 

 not thrive. They require alfo to be 

 lhaded from the Sun by Trees ; fo 

 that if theie are planted at the Foot 

 of the Hernandia, or Jack-in a-Box, 

 whofe Leaves are very large, and 

 afford a good Shade, they will fuc- 

 ceed better than when they are ex- 

 pofcd in fmgle Pots alone 5 and as 

 thefe. Plants require the fame Degree 

 of Heat in Winter, fo they will agree 

 well together. 



When thefe Plants are defign'd for 

 Propagation in the warm Parts of 

 America, there is nothing more re- 

 quired than to make Cuttings of 

 about three or four Joints in Length, 

 which mould be planted clofe to the 

 Stems of Trees, in low marftiy Pla- 

 ces ; and to keep down other trou- 

 blefome Plants ; which, if permitted 

 to grow about the Cuttings before 

 they are well rooted, would over- 

 bear and deftroy them : but after 

 they are eftabliftVd, and have fatten- 

 ed their Shoots to the Stems of the 

 Trees, they are not in much Dan- 

 ger of being injured by neighbour- 

 ing Plants; tho' when the Ground is 

 kept clear from Weeds, the Plants 

 will be much better nouriGYd. 



Thefe Plants do not produce 

 Flowers until they are grown ftrong; 

 fo that the Inhabitants affirm, That 

 it is fix or feven Years from the 

 Planting to the time of their bear- 

 ing Fruit : but when they begin to 



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flower and fruit, they continue for 

 feveral Years bearing, and this with- 

 out any Culture ; and as it is a Com- 

 modity which bears a good Price, it 

 is well worth cultivating in feveral 

 of the Englifo Settlements, efpecially 

 as they will grow in moift woody 

 Places, where the Land is not clear- 

 ed from Timber. 



The Method us\l to prepare the 

 Fruit, is, when it turns of a yellow 

 Colour, and begins to open, to ga- 

 ther it, and lay it in fmall Heaps to 

 ferment two or three Days, in the 

 fame manner as is practis'd for the 

 . Cocoa or Chocolate Pods : then they 

 fpread them in the Sun to dry ; and 

 when they are about half-dried, they 

 flat them with their Hands, and af- 

 terwards rub them over with the 

 Oil of Pa /ma CbriJIi, or of the Co- 

 coa : then they expofe them to 

 the Sun again to dry ; and after- 

 ward they rub them over with Oil a 

 fecond time ; then they put them in 

 fmall Bundles, covering them with 

 the Leaves of the Indian Reed, to 

 preferve them. 



Thefe Plants produce, but one 

 Crop of Fruit in a Year, which is 

 commonly ripe in May, fit for ga- 

 thering ; for they do not let them 

 remain on the Plants to be perfectly 

 mature, becaufe then they are not 

 fo fit for Ufe ; but when they are 

 about half changed yellow, they 

 efteem them better for keeping, than 

 when they are changed to a dark- 

 brown Colour ; at which time the 

 Fruit fplits, and (hews a great Quan- 

 tity of fmall Seeds, which are in- 

 clos'd within it. While the Fruit is 

 green, it affords no remarkable 

 Scent j but as it ripens, it emits a 

 moft grateful aromatic Odour. When 

 the Fruit begins to open, the Birds 

 attack them, and devour all the 

 Seeds very greedily ; but do not eat 

 any other Part of the Fruit. 



The 



