M E 



M E 



appear ; otherwife there will be too 

 much to cut within a proper time. 



When this is made into Hay, it 

 will require a great deal of making; 

 for as the Stalks are very fucculent, 

 fo it mull be often turned, and ex- 

 pofed a Fortnight before it will be 

 fit to houfe ; for this requires a lon- 

 ger time to make than St. Foin ; but 

 it is not fo profkable for Hay, as to 

 cut green for feeding of all Sorts of 

 Cattie, but efpecially Horfes, which 

 are extremely fond of it ; and to 

 them it will anfwcr the Purpofe of 

 both Hay and Corn ; and they may 

 be worked at the fame time juit as 

 much as when they are fed with 

 Corn, or .dry Food. 



MEDICA COCHLEATA,Snail- 

 trefoil. 



The Characters are ; 



Thefe Plants differ from the for- 

 mer in the Fruit, which of thefe Kinds 

 are Jhc>p*d like a Snail. 



There are great Numbers of Sorts 

 of this Plant, which are preferved in 

 Botanic Gardens for Variety ; but I 

 {hall in this Place only mention two 

 or three of the moil curious Sorts, 

 which are cultivated in Gardens for 

 the Oddnefs of their Fruit. 

 The Species are ; 



1. Medica fcutellata. J. B. The 

 Snail - trefoil, commonly called in 

 the Seed-mops Snails. 



2. Medica orhicuhta. J. B. Flat 

 round Snail-trefoil. 



3. Medica cochleata fpincfa, ec hi- 

 nts ?nagnis y utrinque turbinatis, cum 

 fpinulis rrfexis. Rail Hijl. Prickly 

 cochleated Medic, with a large 

 Head turbinated on every Side with 

 refiexed Spines, commonly called 

 Horns and Hedghog. 



4. Medica marina. Lob. Icon. 

 Sea Medic, or Snail-trefoil. 



The two firft Sorts are com- 

 mon in the Englijh Gardens, their 

 Seeds being frequently fold in the 



Seed-mops in London ; but the th'rd 

 Sort is pretty rare at prefent in Eng- 

 land. 



Thefe three Sorts may be propa- 

 gated by lowing their Seeds upon n 

 warm dry Border the Beginning of 

 April, obferving always to do it in 

 dry Weather ; for if the Ground be 

 very wet, or there mould iuppen 

 much Rain foon after they are put 

 into the Earth, it very often burJls, 

 and deftroys the Seeds ; but if fome 

 gentle Showers fail about a Week or 

 ten Days after the Seeds are fown, 

 it will bring up the Plants in a fhort 

 time after. When they are come 

 up, they mould be carefully cleared 

 from Weeds, and thinned out to 

 about a Foot afunder, or more (for 

 they muft remain where they were 

 fown, feldom fucceeding when 

 tranfplanted) ; and after this they 

 will require no farther Care but on- 

 ly to keep them clear from Weeds ; 

 and in fuly they will flower, and 

 their Fruit will ripen in a fliort time 

 after. When the Plant is in full 

 Beauty, the firfi Sort, a* a fmalS Di- 

 flance, wiil appear as if it had a great 

 Number of Snails upon it ; and the 

 third Sort, having large rough Heads, 

 will make a very good Appearance ; 

 for which Angular Oddnefs, a good 

 Garden mould always have a few 

 Plants of each Sort, efpecially fmce 

 they require very little Care to cul- 

 tivate them. 



When the Fruit is full-ripe, it 

 mould be gathered and laid by in a 

 dry Place for the Seeds; for if they 

 are permitted to remain upon the 

 Plants, and there mould Rain hap- 

 pen, the Seeds would fprout in the 

 Heads, and be deftroyed. 



The fourth Sort is a perennial 

 Plant, which is preferved by fucli 

 Perfons as are very curious in col- 

 lecting great Variety of odd Plants. 

 This may be propagated by fowing 



I i i 4 the 



