Z E A 
There is nothing more obferved in the culture of this 
grain, but only to keep it clear from weeds, by fre- 
quent hoeing of the ground ; and when the Items are 
advanced, to draw the earth up in a hill about each 
plant, which, if done, will greatly (Lengthen them, 
and preferve the ground about their roots moift for a 
conliderable time. 
When the Corn is ripe, they cut off the ftalks clofe to 
the ground, and after having gathered off the fpikes 
v of grain, they fpread the ftalks in the fun to harden 
and dry, . which they afterward ufe in the fame man- 
ner as Reeds in England for making fences, covering 
ilieds, &c. for which purpole they are very ufeful to 
the inhabitants of warm countries ; and when there is 
a fcarcity of forage, they feed their cattle with them 
green, as fail as the Corn is gathered off. 
The Corn is ground to flour, and the pooreft fort of 
people in America, and alfo in Italy and Germany, 
make their bread of this flour ; and in many of the 
warmer countries, the inhabitants roaft the whole 
fpikes, and drefs them many different ways, making 
feveral difhes of it ; but this grain feldom agrees with 
thofe who have not been accuftomed to eat it •, howe- 
ver, in times of fcarcity of other grain, this would be 
a better fubftitute for the poor than Bean flour, or 
other forts, which have been ufed in England ; and at 
all times will be found a hearty food for cattle, hogs, 
and poultry; fo that in light fandy lands, where Beans 
and Peas fucceed not well, this grain may be culti- 
vated to anfvver both purpofes to advantage. 
If this grain is cultivated by the horfe hoeing hufban- 
dry, it may be done at lefs expence than in any other 
method •, for this is one of the plants which is more 
particularly adapted for this hufbandry ; therefore I 
ihall here give an account of the method in which it 
has been cultivated by the horfe-hoe, and hasfucceeded 
beyond expectation. 
The land was very light and fandy, and far from 
being rich ; this was ploughed deep before winter, 
and laid up in high ridges till the fpring, when it was 
well harrowed to break it fine, and the beginning of 
April the ground was again ploughed, laid level, and 
well harrowed to make the furface fmooth ; then 
the feeds were fown in drills, which were made 
four feet afunder, into which the feeds were drop- 
ped at about a foot diftance. When the plants were 
come up three inches high, where any of them were 
too clofe, they were cut up with a hand- hoe, and the 
intervals between the rows were ploughed {hallow to 
deftroy the young weeds. But when the Items were 
advanced, the ground in the intervals was ploughed 
deeper, and the earth laid up to the plants on both 
.Tides ; and when the weeds began to grow again, the 
ground was a third time ploughed to deftroy them ; 
this kept the ground pretty clean from weeds till the 
grain was ripe, as the feafon was not wet, but other- 
wife it would have required a fourth ploughing to an- 
fwer this purpofe. The ftalks of thefe plants pro- 
duced from three to fix fpikes of grain each, which 
was a great increafe. 
The time for fowing this Corn, is about the fame as 
for Barley ; in light warm land it may be fown the 
latter end of March or the beginning of April, but in 
cold ground, the middle or end of April will be early 
enough, for the grain is fubject to rot in cold land, 
especially if the feafon proves wet. When the large forts 
are planted in a garden for curiofity, their feeds ihould 
be fowu upon a moderate hot-bed the beginning of 
March ; and when the plants are fit to remove, they 
Ihould be tranfplanted on another moderate hot-bed 
to bring them forward ; but they mu ft not be kept 
too clafely covered, for that will draw them up weak ; 
therefore, when the weather is mild, they ihould be 
inured to bear the open air •, and the beginning of May 
they ihould be taken up with balls of earth to their 
roots, and tranfplanted into a warm border at three or 
four feet diftance, carefully watering them if the wea- 
ther proves dry, until they have taken new root, after 
which they will require no other care but to keep 
them clean from weeds. If the feafon ihould prove 
warm, thefe, plants will ripen the Corn in autumn. 
Z I N Z I B E R. See Amo mum. 
ZIZIPHQRA. Lin. Gen. Plant. 33. Clinopodi'um. 
Tourn. Inft. R. EL 194. tab. 92. Field Bafih 
The Characters are, 
The flower hath a long , rough, (ylindrical empale-, nent \ 
which is Jlightly cut into five parts at the brim. The 
flower is of the labiated kind , having a long cylindrical 
tube. The upper lip is oval , reflexed , and entire ; the 
under lip ( or beard ) is divided into three equal fegnients ; 
it has two fpreading ftamina terminated by oblong flum- 
mits , and a quadrifid germen fupporting a briftly ftyle , 
crowned by a Jharp-pointed inflex ed fligmd. The germen 
afterward turn to flour oblong feeds , which ripen in the 
empalcment. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firff febtion of 
Linnaeus’s fecond clafs, which includes thofe plants 
whofe flowers have two ftamina and one ftyle; 
The Speies are, 
1. Ziziphora ( Capitata ) capitulis, terminalibtis, foliis 
ovatis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 31. Field Bafil with heads ter- 
minating the ftalks , and oval leaves. Clinopodium fif- 
tulofum pumilum, Indiae occidentalis, firm mo caule 
floridum. Pluk. Aim. in. Low fifiukus Field Bafil 
of the JVeft-Indies , having flowers op the top of the ftalk. 
2. Zizophora ( Termor ) floribus lateralihus, foliis lan- 
ceolatis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 3 1 . Field Bafil with flowers 
growing on the fides of the ftalk , and fpear-Jhaped leaves. 
Acinos Syriaca, folio mucronato, capfulis hirfutis. 
Mor. Hift. 3. p. 404. Syrian Field Bafil with an acute- 
pointed leaf, and hairy capfules. 
3. Ziziphora ( Hifpanica ) floribus lateralibus, foliis in- 
ferioribus lineari lanceolatis, fummis ovato mucrona- 
tis. Field Bafil with flowers growing on the fides of the 
ftalks, the lower leaves linear and fpear-Jhaped, and thofe 
on the top oval, terminating with long points. 
4. Ziziphora (. Alpina ) foliis lanceolatis, floribus termi- 
nalibus. Hort. Cliff. 305. Alpine Field Bafil with fpear- 
Jhaped leaves, and flowers terminating the ftalks. Cli- 
nopodium Alpinum rofeum, faturejae foliis, Boccon. 
Muf. 1 19. Alpine Field Bafil with Rofe-like heads and 
Savory leaves. 
The firft fort grows naturally in Virginia ; this is an 
annual plant, which has a four-cornered ftalk about 
four inches high, fending out fide branches from the 
bottom, which (land oppofite •, thefe are terminated 
by a clufter of fmall flowers furrounded by oval leaves, 
ending in acute points. The flowers have a (lender 
cylindrical empalement, out of which they juft peep ; 
they are purple, of the lip kind, and have but two 
ftamina; it flowers in June, July, and Auguft, and 
the feeds ripen about fix weeks after. 
The fecond fort grows naturally in Spain, and alfo in 
the Levant ; this fends up many [lender ligneous 
ftalks, which rife near a foot high, are garnifhed with 
fpear-lhaped leaves about the fize of thole of Sum- 
mer Savory, and have a fcent like thofe. The flowers 
are produced in whorls round the ftalks, which are like 
thofe of the former fort, and appear at the fame feafon. 
The feeds of the third lorn I received from Dr. Ruffel, 
who procured them from Aleppo ; this riles about 
eight or nine inches high ; the ftalks branch out their 
whole length. The lower leaves are narrow, and 
hairy ; thole at the top are oval, running out in acuie 
points. The flowers are dilpofed in whorls round the 
ftalks, and are like thofe of the former fort. The 
whole plant fmells like Pennyroyal. 
The fourth fort grows naturally on the Alps, and 
Appenine mountains. The ftalks ..of this rife about 
fix inches high, and are garnifhed, with fmall fpear- 
fhaped leaves placed oppofite. The flowers are pro- 
duced in a clufter at the top of the ftalks, which are' 
of the fame fhape and colour as thofe of the firft fort, 
and are furrounded with fpear-lhaped leaves. 
Thefe plants are all of them annual, fo are propa- 
pagated only by feeds. 
The feeds may be fown in a border of light earth, 
eithe'r in fpring or autumn. Thofe plants which 
come 
1 
