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Seeds are permitted to fcatter, the 

 I^lant will come up the following 

 Spring : but when the Seeds are 

 fown in the Spring, they generally 

 lie in the Garden a whole Year. As 

 this Plant grows very large, it will 

 require three Feet Space at leaft ; 

 and it will grow upward of four 

 Feet high. 



LIGUSTRUM, The Privet. 

 The Characters are ; 



The. Leaves grc-zv by Pairs oppojite 

 to each other : the Flovoer cenfefts of 

 one Leaf, is tubulous, and divided at 

 the Top into Jive Segments : the Ovary 

 in the Centre of the Flower- cup be- 

 comes a globular foft Fruit, full of 

 Juice, in nv hi chare lodged four Seeds. 

 The Species are ; 



1 . Ligustrum vulgare. Park. 

 Thcat. The common Privet. 



2. Ligustrum foliis majoribus 

 Iff magis acuminalis, toto anno folia 

 retinens. Pluk % Aim. The ever- green 

 Privet. 



5-. Ligustrum foliis e luteo va- 

 riegatis. H. R. Par. The yellow- 

 blotch'd Privet. 



4. Ligustrum foliis argentatis. 

 Breyn. Prod. The filver-ftriped Pri- 

 vet. 



5. Ligustrum acvlcatum, fru8u 

 tejliculato. Plum. Cat. Prickly Ameri- 

 can Privet, with tefticulated Fruit. 



The firfl of thefe Plants is very 

 common in the Hedges in moft 

 Parts of England, and therefore it is 

 not fo much valued by the generality 

 of People, as lbme Shrubs which are 

 more rare ; but it deferves a Place in 

 Plantation of Shrubs, as it adds to the 

 Variety : it commonly grows about 

 eight or ten Feet high, in form of a 

 Shrub ; but may, by Art, be train- 

 ed up to a much greater Height, and 

 may be intermixed amongit other 

 Trees of middling Growth in Wil- 

 demelTes. 



This Shrub is frequently cultivated 



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in the Nurferies near London, to fur- 

 nim the fmall Gardens and Balconies 

 in the City, it being one of the few 

 Plants which will thrive in the 

 Smoke of London : but altho' it will 

 live fome Years in the clofe Part of 

 the Town, yet it feldom produces 

 Flowers after the firfl Year, unlefs 

 in fome open Places, where 

 there is a free Air. In the Coun- 

 try the Leaves will continue green 

 great Part of the" Winter : it flowers 

 in June, and the Berries ripen in 

 Autumn, which generally hang 

 upon the Branches till Chrijlmas. 



The fecond Sort will grow much 

 larger than the firll, and is equally 

 hardy. The Leaves of this commonly 

 remain upon the Trees until the 

 Spring, unlefs in very hard Win- 

 ters ; for which Reafon it is more 

 efteemed than the common Sort. 



The Leaves of this Sort are broad- 

 er than thofe of the firft, and are of 

 a deeper Green ; the Bunches of 

 Flowers are larger, and of a purer 

 white Colour ; the Berries are alfo 

 much larger, and of a mining-black 

 Colour; therefore make a fine Ap- 

 pearance in October and November, 

 This Sort will grow to fourteen or 

 fixteen Feet ; and is a proper Shrut) 

 to fill up in Wildernefs-quarters. 



I cannot but think this Sort, whieh 

 is the moft common in Italy, is the 

 Ligujlrum mentioned by V irgil in the 

 fecond Eclogue : and my Reafon 

 for it is, that as the Flowers of this 

 Shrub are of a pure White, but fall 

 off very foon, they are by no means 

 proper to gather for Garlands, &c. 

 and the Berries being of a fine black 

 Colour, and continuing long upon 

 the Plants, make a fine Appearance. 

 To confirm that thefe Berries were 

 gathered for Ufe, we find in feveral 

 Authors of undoubted Credit, that 

 they were ufed in dyeing, as alfo th^t 

 the belt Ink was made of them. 



Befides, 



