M A 



M A 



to a Pot of frefh Earth, and then 

 plunge it into an Hot-bed of Tan- 

 ners Bark, obferving to refrefh the 

 Earth often with Water. From one 

 of thefe Nuts will arife four or five 

 Plants, which, when grown about 

 three Inches high, may befeparated, 

 and placed each into a fmall Pot 

 filled with light rich Earth, and 

 plunged again into the Hot bed, 

 obferving to water and fhade them, 

 until they have taken Root ; after 

 which they mult be managed as was 

 before directed for the Mammee, to 

 which J refer the Reader, to avoid 

 Repetition. In mifting of thefe 

 Plants from one Pot into another, 

 great Care fhould be had, not to 

 break their Leaves ; for then they 

 will greatly bleed, and thereby the 

 Plants will be weakened ; and it is 

 very dangerous to let any of the 

 Juice fall on any tender Part of the 

 jBody ; for it will raife a Blifter : and 

 if it fall on Cloth, it will make 

 Holes therein, as bad as if Aqua 

 fort is were dropp'd on it. 



MANDR AGORA, Mandrake. 

 The Characlers are ; 



The Flower conjtjis of one Leaf 

 in the Shape of a Bell, and is divided 

 at the Top into federal Farts: the 

 Point al afterward becomes a globular 

 foft Fruit, in which are contained 

 many kidney -Jhaped Seeds. 

 The Species are ; 



1. Mandragora fruFiu rotundo. 

 C. B. P. Common Mandrake, with 

 a round Fruit. 



2. Mandracora fore fubcceru- 

 leo purpwafceute. C. B. P. Man- 

 drake with a parplilh-blue Flower. 



Thefe Plants are propagated by- 

 Seeds, which fhould be fown upon a 

 Bed of light Earth foon after they 

 are ripe; for, if they are kept un- 

 til the Spring, they feldom fucceed 

 well ; but thofe which are fown in 

 Autumn will come up in the Spring, 



when they mould be carefully cleared 

 from Weeds ; and, in very dry 

 Weather, they muft be refrefhed 

 with Water, which will greatly pro- ' 

 mote their Growth : in this Bed they 

 mould remain till the Latter-end of j 

 Augujl (obferving always to keep i 

 them clear from Weeds); at which 

 time they mould be taken up very 

 carefully, and trahfplanted into the 

 Places where they are to remain, 

 which fhould be alight deep Soil; 

 for their Roots always run down- 

 ward very deep; fo that, if the 

 Soil be wet, they are often rotted 

 in Winter; and, if it be too near 

 the Gravel or Chalk, they feldom 

 thrive well : but, if the Soil be 

 good, and they are not difturbed, 

 trie Plants will grow to a large Size 

 in a few Years, and will produce 

 great -Quantities of Flowers and 

 Fruit, and they will abide a great 

 many Years. 



1 have been informed by fome 

 Perfons of Credit, that one of thefe 

 Roots will remain found above fifty 

 Years, and be as vigorous as a young 

 Plant. I have known fome Plants 

 near forty Years myfelf, which are 

 now in great Vigour, and may con- 

 tinue fomany Years longer, as there 

 are no Signs of their Decay : but 

 they mould never be removed after 

 their Roots have arriv'd to any con- 

 siderable Size, which would break 

 their lower Fibres, and fo flint the 

 Plants, as that they will not recover 

 their former Strength in two or 

 three Years. 



As to the feigned Refemblance 

 of an human Form, which the Roots 

 of this Plant are faid to carry, 'tis 

 all Impofture, owing to the Cun- 

 ning of Quacks and Mountebanks, 

 who deceive the Populace, and the 

 Ignorant, with fictitious Images fha- 

 ped from the frefh Roots of .Bryony, 

 and other Plant* : and what is re- 



2 portei 



