116 



A DISCOURSE 



VIBURNUM. 



mOYi II. The VIBURNUM \ or WAY-FARING TREE, growing plenti- 

 ^""^^""^""^ fully in every corner, makes pins for the yokes of oxen : and supersti- 

 tious people think that it protects their cattle from being bewitched, 

 and place the shrub about then- stalls : it certainly makes the most 

 pliant and best bands to faggot with. The leaves and berries are astrin- 

 gent, and make an excellent gargle for loose teeth, sore throats, and stop 

 fluxes. The leaves decocted to a lye, not only colour the hair black, 

 but fasten the roots ; and the bark of the root, macerated under ground, 

 well beaten, and often boiled, serves for bird-lime. 



YUCCA. 



The AIMERICAN YUCCA * is a hardier plant than we take it to be ; 

 for it will suffer our sharpest winter, as I have seen by experience, with- 

 out that trouble and care of setting it in cases in our conservatories of 

 hyemation ; such as have beheld it in flower (which is not indeed till it 

 be of some age) must needs admire the beauty of it ; and it being easily 

 multiplied, why should it not make one of the best and most ornamental 

 fences in the world for our gardens, with its natural palisadoes, as well 

 as the more tender, and impatient of moisture, the Aloe, does for their 

 vineyards in Languedoc ? but we believe nothing improvable, save what 

 our grandfathers taught us. Finally, let trial likewise be made of that 

 Thorn, mentioned by captain Liggon in his History of Barbadoes, whe- 

 ther it would not be made to grow amongst us, and prove as convenient 



» Of the VIBURNUM there are nine species ; but what is here meant is the VIBUR- 

 NUM (la-ntana ) foliis cordatis serratis venosis subtus tomentosis. Lin. Sp. PI. 384. 

 Wjir-FARiNC-THEF. It is of the class and order Fentandria Trigynia. The laurustinus is 

 the only evergreen of this genus. 



* Of the YUCCA there are four species, and I imagine that the following is the kind re- 

 commended by Mr. Evelyn : 



YUCCA ( GLORiosA ) foliis integerrimis, Lin. Sp. PI. 4.56. Adam's needle. It is of the 

 class and order Hexandria Monogynia. When carefully attended to, the Yucca may be made 

 to grow in the open ground, but will not perfect its seed with us. It is a native of 

 Canada. 



