F R I 
Which the fmall foots are contained, equally covering 
it about one fourth of an inch thick with the fame 
frefh earth : this bed fhould be fituated in a warm 
pofition, but not too clofe to hedges, walls, or pales, 
which would caufe their leaves to be long and (lender, 
and make the roots weaker than if placed in a more 
open expofure. 
In this bed they may remain until they flower, which 
is generally the third year from fowing ; at which time 
you fhould put down a mark to the roots of all fuch 
as produce fair flowers, that at the time of taking 
them out of the ground (which ought to be foon after 
their green leaves are decayed) they may be fele&ed 
into a bed amongft your old roots of this flower* 
which, for their beauty, are preferved in the belt 
gardens ;■ but the other lefs valuable flowers may be 
planted in the borders of the parterre-garden for 
their variety, where, being intermixed with other 
flowers of different feafons, they will make a good 
appearance. 
The fine forts of this flower fhould remain tiridif- 
turbed three years, by which time they will have pro- 
duced many offsets-, and fhould be taken up when 
their leaves are decayed, and planted into a frefh 
bed, taking fuch of their offsets as are large enough 
to produce flowers to plant in the flower-garden ; but 
the fmaller roots may be planted into a nurfery-bed, 
until they have obtained ftrength enough to flower ; 
but you mud never fuffer thefe roots to lie out of the 
ground when you remove them, but plant them again 
immediately, otherwife they will perifh. 
During thefe three years which I have advifed the 
roots to remain in the beds, the furface of the earth 
fhould be ftirred every autumn with a trowel, obferv- 
ing not to go fo deep as to bruife the root, and at the 
fame time lay a thin cover of very rotten dung or 
tanners, bark upon the furface of the beds ; which, be- 
ing wafhed into the ground, will caufe the flowers to 
be larger, as alfo the roots to make a greater increafe : 
you muft alfo obferve to keep them conftantly clear 
from weeds, and thofe roots which you would pre- 
ferve with care, fhould not be fuffered to feed. 
When a flock of good flowers are obtained, they 
may be preferved and increafed in the fame manner as 
other bulbous rooted flowers, which is by offsets fent 
out from their roots, which fhould be taken off every 
other year from the finefl forts; but the ordinary 
flowers may remain three years undifturbed, in which 
time they will have multiplied fo much, as that each 
root will have formed a clufter ; fo that if they are left 
longer together, the roots will be fmall, and the 
flowers very weak ; therefore, if thefe are taken up 
every other year, the roots will be the ftronger. Thefe 
roots may be treated in the fame manner as Tulips, and 
other bulbous rooted flowers, with this difference only, 
that the roots will not bear to be kept out of the 
ground fo long *, therefore, if there fhould be a necef- 
fity for keeping them out of the ground any time, it 
will be belt to put the roots into fand to prevent their 
fhrinking. 
As thefe flowers come out early in the fpring, they 
make a pretty appearance in the borders of the plea- 
fure-garden, where they are planted in fmall clumps ; 
for when they Hand Angle in the borders, they make 
but a poor figure. 
The eighth fort is the Crown Imperial, which is now 
very common in the Englifh gardens. This grows na- 
turally in Perfia, from whence it was firft brought to 
Conftantinople, and about the year 1570, was in- 
troduced to thefe parts of Europe; of this flower there 
are a great variety now preferved in the gardens of 
florifts, but as they have been produced accidentally 
from feeds, they are but one fpecies ; however, for 
the fatisfa&ion of the curious, I fhall here mention all 
the varieties which have come to my knowledge. 
1. The common Crown Imperial; this is of a dirty- 
red colour. 
2. The yellow Crown Imperial ; this is of a bright 
yellow. ! - 
3. The bright red Crown Imperial, called FufaL 
F R I 
4 - The pale yellow Crown Imperial: 
5. The yellow flriped Crown imperial 
6. The large flowering Crown Imperial. 
7. The broad leaved late red Crown Imperial. 
8. The double and triple crowned Imperial Crown,' 
9. The double red Crown Imperial. > 
10. The double yellow Crown Imperial 
1 1. The filver flriped leaved Crown Imperial. 
12. The yellow flriped leaved Crown Imperial 
There are fome few other varieties which are men- 
tioned in the catalogues of the Dutch florifls, but 
their diftinCtions are fo minute, that they are not dif- 
tinguifhable, fo I fhall pafs them over,' as thofe here 
inferted are all that I have feen growing either in 
England or Holland, which deferred any diftin&ion. 
The Crown Imperial hath a large round fcaly root 
of a yellow colotir, and a ftrong odour of a fox; 
the flalk rifes to the height of four feet or Upward ; it 
•is ftrong, fucculent, and garnifhed two-thirds of the 
length on every fide, with long narrow leaves ending 
in points, which are fmooth and entire ; the upper 
part of the flalk is naked, a foot in length ; then the 
flowers come out all round the flalk upon fhort foot- 
flalks, which turn downward, each fuftaining one 
large, fpreading, bell-fhaped flower, compofed of fix 
fpeanfhaped petals ; at the bafe of each petal is a 
pretty. large cavity, in which is fituated a large white 
neCtarium, filled with a mellous liquor. In the center 
of the flower is fixed a three-cornered oblong germen, 
upon which refts the Angle flyle, which is the length 
of the petals, and is crowned by a fpreading obtufe 
fligma ; round the flyle there are fix awl-fhaped fta- 
mina which are fhorter than the flyle, and are ter* 
minated by oblong four-cornered fummits. Thefe 
flowers hang downward, and above them rifes a 
fpreading tuft of green leaves, which are ereCt, and 
from between thefe come out the foot-flalks of the 
flowers : when the flowers decay, the getmen fwells 
to a large hexagonal capfule, fhaped like a water- 
mill, having fix cells, which are filled with flat feeds* 
This plant flowers the beginning of April, and th£ 
feeds are ripe in July. 
The fort with yellow flowers, that with large flowers, 
and thofe with double flowers, are the moll valuable; 
but that which hath two or three whorls of flowers 
above each other, makes the finefl appearance; 
though this feldom produces its flowers after this man- 
ner the firft year after removing, but the fecond and 
third year after planting, the ftalks will be taller, and 
frequently have three tier of flowers, one above ano- 
ther, which is called the Triple Crown. The ftalks of 
this fort frequently run flat and broad, when they pro- 
duce a greater number of flowers than ufual ; but 
this is only a luxuriancy of nature, not conftant, 
though many of the writers have mentioned it as a 
particular variety; 
As this is one of the earlieft tall flowers of the fpring, 
it makes a fine appearance in the middle of large bor- 
ders, at a feafon when fuch flowers are much wanted 
to decorate the pleafure-garden : but the rank fok-like 
odour which they emit, is too ftrong for moft people, 
fo hath rendered the flowers . lefs valuable than they* 
would have been : for there is fomething very pleaf- 
ing in the fight of them at a diftance, fo that lvfere it 
not for the offenfive fmell of the leaves and flowers, it 
would be more frequently feen in all gardens fbf 
pleafure. 
This may be propagated by feeds, or offsets from 
the root ; the firft is too tedious for moft of the 
Englifh florifls, becatjfe the plants fo raifed, are fix 
or leven years before they flower; but the Dutch and 
Flemifh gardeners, who have more patience, fre- 
quently raife them from feeds, fo get fame new va- 
rieties, which rewards their labour. The method of 
propagating thefe flowers fro in feeds, being nearly 
the fame as for the Tulip; the reader is defired to turn 
to that article, where there are full directions for per- 
forming it. 
The common method of propagating them here, is 
by offsets fent out from the old roots, which will 
5 T flower 
