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Ituation until they have taken frefh 

 loot ; after which they may be ex- 

 ited to the open Air, with Myrtles, 

 leraniums, &c. until the M ; ddle 

 I Latter-end of Oclober, when they 

 I uft be removed into the Green- 

 pufe ; obierving to place them in 

 I e cooleft Part of the Houfe, and 

 ■ here they may have as much free 

 liras poflible ; for if they are too 

 I uch drawn in the Houfe, they will 

 bpear very faint and fickly, and 

 lldcm produce many Flowers ; 

 Ihereas, when they are only pre- 

 Irved from the Froft, and have a 

 reat Share of free Air, they will 

 opear ftrong and healthy, and pro- 

 ace large Quantities of Flowers in 

 'pril and May ; during which Sea- 

 i>n they make a very handfome 

 hew in the Green-houfe : they muft 

 l.fo be frequency watered, and will 

 squire to be new potted at> leaft 

 vice every Year, i. e. in May and 

 \\eptember ; otherwife their Roots 

 'ill be fo matted, as to prevent their 

 irowth. 



Thefe Plants rarely produce good 

 eeds with us, except the fourth 

 ort, which ripens its Seeds every 

 Tear in England : but when they 

 re obtained from abroad, they muft 

 le fown upon a moderate Hot-bed ; 

 md when the Plants come up, they 

 lull be tranfplanted into fmall 

 'ots, and plunged into another very 

 moderate Hot-bed, in order to pro- 

 note their Rooting ; after which 

 hey mult be harden'd by degrees, 

 o endure the open Air in Summer, 

 nd may then be treated as the old 

 'lants. 



HERMODACTYLUS, The 

 -iermodadlyl, commonly called 

 :>nakes-head Iris. 



The CbaraSiers are; 

 // hath a lily.fhaped Flower, con- 

 ning of one Leaf, and Jbaped txadly 

 'ike an Ins ; but has a tuberofe Rest, 

 7 



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divided into t~>:o or three Dugs, like 

 oblong Bulbs. 



We have but one Species of this 

 Plant; nrix. 



Hermodactylus folio quadran- 

 gulo. C. B. P. Snakes-head Iris, 

 <vulgo. This is alfo called Iris tu- 

 berofa Belgarum ; /. e. The tube- 

 rofe Iris of the Dutch. 



This Plant is eafily propagated 

 by itsTubers, which fhould be taken 

 off foon after the green Leaves de- 

 cay, wr:ich is the proper Seafon for 

 tranfplanting the Roots ; but they 

 fhould not be kept long out of the 

 Ground, left they fhrink ; which 

 will caufe them to rot when they 

 are planted. They mould have a 

 loamy Soil, not too ftrong; and muft 

 be p'anted to an Eaft Afpett, where 

 they will flower very well. Thefe 

 Roors fhould not be removed oftener 

 than once in three Years, if you 

 defign to increafe them ; but then 

 they fhould be planted at a farther 

 Diltance from each other, than if 

 they were to remain but one Year; 

 and the Beds fhould be kept clear 

 from Weeds, and at Michaelmas 

 there fhould be fome fine Earth laid 

 over the Beds, which will greatly 

 ftrengthen their Roots. TheDiltance 

 which thefe Plants fhould be allowed 

 is fix Inches fquare; and they fhould 

 be placed four Inches deep in the 

 Ground. Thefe produce their 

 Flowers in May, and their Seeds are 

 ripe in duguft ; but as they multiply 

 pretty faft by their Roots, few People 

 are at the Trouble of raifing them 

 from Seeds ; but thofe who have an 

 Inclination fo to do, muft treat them 

 in the manner directed for the bulb- 

 ous Iris's. 



The Roots of this Plant are very 

 apt to run deep into the Ground, 

 and then they feldom produce 

 Flowers ; and many times they 

 Ihoot fo deep as to be lotf, efpecially 



where 



