O R I 
the open air in England, and is chiefly cultivated for 
nofegays, as it comes fooner to flower than Sweet 
Marjoram, fo it is ufed for the fame purpofes, till the 
other comes to maturity. There is a variety of this 
with variegated leaves. This is generally propagated 
by parting the roots in autumn, and fhould have a 
dry foil, where it will thrive, requiring no other cul- 
ture than the firft fort. 
The third fort grows naturally in France and Italy 
this hath a perennial root, from which arife feveral 
(lender bending Falks near a foot high, garniFied 
with oval fmooth leaves Handing on pretty long foot- 
Faiks. The flowers are produced in oblong fpikes, 
which grow in cluFered panicles ; they are fmall, of a 
purplifli colour, peeping out of their fcaly coverings. 
It flowers in June, and may be propagated by part- 
ing the roots in the fame way as the former. 
The fourth fort grows plentifully about Orleans ; this 
hath a perennial root, from which arife feveral four- 
cornered Falks about fix inches high, which frequently 
bend to the ground, and put out roots ; they are gar- 
niFied with oblong hairy leaves fitting clofe to the 
Falk. The flowers grow in oblong cluFered fpikes 
at the top of the Falks, having long coloured brac- 
tese between each ; the Bowers are fome whitifh, 
others purple in the fame fpikes ; they are fmall, and 
peep out of their fcaly covers. This flowers in 
June, and may be propagated in the fame way as the 
former. 
The fifth fort grows naturally in the Levant ; it is a 
perennial plant. The Falks rife two feet high, and 
branch out their whole length ; they are purple, and 
garniFied with oval rough leaves, fame what like 
thofe of Self-heal, but fmaller. The flowers grow 
in roundiFi cluFered fpikes, having Fiort brafteae ; 
they are purple, and appear in June, but are not 
fucceeded by feeds here. It is propagated by parting 
of the heads in the fame way as the former, and muH 
have a dry foil. 
The fixth fort is the Origany of Crete, which is di- 
rected to be ufed in medicine, but there has been 
great confufion among botaniHs in diHinguiFFng the 
fpecies. This rifes with four-cornered Falks a foot 
and half high, garniFied with oval hoary leaves of a 
Frong aromatic fcent. The flowers grow in long, 
ereft, bunched fpikes at the top of the Falks, having 
membraneous braftes between, which are twice the 
length of the empalement ; the Bowers are fmall and 
white, like thofe of the common Origany. It Bowers 
in July, but feldom perfects feeds in England. It is 
propagated by parting the roots as the former, but 
muH have a dry foil and a warm Ftuation, otherwife 
it will not live through the winter here. 
The feventh fort is the common Sweet Marjoram, 
which is fo well known as to need no defcription. With 
us in England it is eHeemed an annual plant, though 
the roots often live through the winter in mild fea- 
fons, or if they are (hekered in a green-houfe ; but in 
warm countries, I believe, it is only biennial. 
This is propagated by feeds, which are generally im- 
ported from the fouth of France or Italy, for they fel- 
dom ripen in England. Thefe are fown on a warm 
border toward the end of March, and when the plants 
are come about an inch high, they fhould be tranf- 
planted into beds of rich earth, at fix inches diFance 
every way, obferving to water them duly till they 
have taken new root ; after which, they will require 
no other care but to keep them clean from weeds. 
The plants will fpread and cover the ground ; in July 
they will begin to flower, at which time it is cut for 
ufe, and is then called Knotted Marjoram, from the 
flowers being collected into roundifh clofe heads like 
knots. 
The eighth fort grows naturally in Africa ; this is a 
perennial plant with a low flirubby Falk, feldom riflno- 
more than a foot and half high, dividing into branches, 
which are garniFied with roundiFi, thick, woolly 
leaves, and hollowed like a ladle ; they are like thofe 
of the common Marjoram, but are of a thicker fub- 
ftance and woolly, and have much the fame fcent. 
The flowers are .produced in roundifh fpikes, clofely 
joined together at the top of the Falks, and, at the 
end of the fmall fide branches they ere of a pale 
flefli colour, peeping out of their fcaly coverings. 
Th is lore flowers in July and AuguF, but does not 
ripen feeds in England. 
It is propagated by flips or cuttings, which if planted 
in a border of good earth during any of the fummer 
months, and (haded from the fun and duly watered, 
will take root freely •, and afterward the plants may 
be taken up, and planted in fmall pots filled with 
light kitchen-garden earth, and placed in the (hade 
till they have taken new root, when they may be re- 
moved into an open fituation, where they may re- 
main till the end of October, when they muft be 
placed under (belter, for they will not thrive through 
the winter in the open air here ; but. if they are put 
under a hot-bed frame, where they may be protected 
from hard froF, and have as much free air as poffible 
in mild weather, they will thrive better than if they 
are more tenderly treated. 
The tenth fort is the Dittany of Crete, which is ufed 
in medicine; this grows naturally upon Mount Ida, 
in Candia ; it is a perennial plant. The Falks are 
hairy, and rile about nine inches high, of a purplifli 
colour, and fend out fmall branches from their Tides 
by pairs ; they are garnii'hed with round, thick, woolly 
leaves, which are very white the whole plant has a 
piercing aromatic fcent, and biting talle : the flowers 
are collected in loofe leafy heads of a purple colour, 
which nod downward ; they are fmall, and of a 
purple colour ; the Famina Bands out beyond the 
petal, two of them being much longer than the 
other. It flowers in June and July, and in warm 
feafons the feeds fometimes ripen in autumn. 
This is propagated eafily by planting cuttings or 
flips during any of the fummer months. Thefe 
fliould be planted either in potior a (hady border, co- 
vering them clofe with a bell or hand-glafe to exclude 
the air, and now and then refre filing them with wa- 
ter, but they muF not have too much wet. When 
thefe have taken root, they (hould be carefully taken 
up, and each planted into a feparate fmall pot filled 
with light earth, and placed in the (hade till they 
have taken new root, when they fliould be removed 
into an open fituation, where they may continue till 
autumn, and then placed under a hot-bed frame to 
fereen them from the froF, but they fliould enjoy the 
free air at all times in mild weather. The following 
fpring fome of the plants may be (haken out of the 
pots, and planted in a warm border near a good af- 
peCted wall, and in a dry foil, where the plants will live 
through the common winters without any other fhel- 
ter ; but as they are liable to be killed by fevere froF, 
it will be proper to keep a few plants in pots, to be 
fheltered in winter to preferve the kind. 
The eleventh fort grows naturally on Mount Sipylus 
near Magnefia, where it was difeovered by Sir George 
Wheeler, who lent the feeds to the Oxford Garden, 
where the plants were raifed •, this hath a perennial 
root, but an annual Falk. The root is compofed of 
many (lender ligneous fibres ; the leaves are oval, 
fmooth, and of a grayifh colour ; the Falks are flen- 
. der, of a purplifli colour, four-cornered, and fmooth •. 
they rife near two feet high, fending out Fender 
branches oppofite, which are terminated by (lender 
oblong fpikes of purplifli flowers, which peep out 
of their fcaly covers ; the flowers are fmall, but 
(haded like thofe of the tenth fort ; their Famina are 
extended out of the petal to a confiderable length. 
The leaves, on the lower part of the Falk, are almoft 
as large as the common Origany, but thofe on the. 
upper part of the Falk and branches are very fmall, and 
fit clofe to the Falk. It flowers in June and July, and in 
warm feafons the feeds ripen here in autumn. It is 
propagated by cuttings or flips,’ in the fame way as- 
the Cretan Dittany, and the plants require the fame 
treatment. 
The twelfth fort is undoubtedly a variety, which has 
been produced from the intermixing of the farina 
©f 
44 ! 
