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■ joined at their bafe into four bodies , and are crowned 
with round fummits. The germen afterward becomes an 
oblong -pointed feed-vejfel , opening in two valves , and filled 
with fmall round feeds. The feed-vejfel is inclofed by the 
two large leaves of the empalement. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the third feftion of 
Linnaeus’s eighteenth clafs, entitled Polyadelphia Po- 
lyandria, the' flowers having many ftamina, which 
are joined in feveral bodies. 
The Species are, 
1. Ascyrum ( Crux Andrea) folds ovatis caule tereti pa- 
nicula dichotomy Lin. Sp. Plant. 787. St. Peterfwort 
with oval leaves , a taper ftalk y and flowers growing in 
loofe fpikes from the divifions of the branches . Hyperi- 
coides ex terra mariana floribus exiguis luteis. Pluk. 
Mant. 104. called St. Andrew’s Crofs. 
2. Ascyrum ( Villofum ) foliis hirfutis caule ftrifto. Lin. 
Sp. Plant. 788. St. Peterfwort with hairy leaves and a 
ftiff f ender fltalk. Hypericum Virginianum frutelcens 
pilofiffimum. Pluk. Aim. 189. 
3. Ascyrum (Hypericoides) foliis oblongis, ramis ancipi- 
tibus. Lin. Sp. 1108. St. Peterfwort with oblong leaves 
and a flatted ftalk. Hypericoides frutelcens ere&a flo- 
re luteo. Plum. Nov. Gen. 51. 
The firft fort is a low plant, whofe ftalks feldom rife 
more than fix inches high, garnifhed with fmall oval 
leaves, placed by pairs •, the ftalks are (lender, and 
divide into two toward the top. From between the 
diviflon of the branches, the loofe fpikes of yellow 
flowers are produced very fmall, fo make no ap- 
pearance •, therefore the plant is fcarce worthy of a 
place in gardens, except for the fake of variety. The 
root is perennial, and the plant may be propagated 
by laying down its branches ; it loves a moift foil and 
a fhady lituation. This grows naturally in North 
America ; I was favoured with this plant by the Right 
Hon. the Earl of Northumberland, who procured it 
from thence. 
The fecond fort grows about three feet high, with 
upright ftalks, garnifhed with hairy oblong leaves •, 
the flowers are produced at the ends of the ftalks, 
which are of the fhape and colour with common St. 
Johnfwort, but have only four leaves. This hath a 
perennial root, but the ftalks decay every autumn. 
It may be propagated by parting the roots in autumn, 
when the ftalks decay, and fliould be planted in a 
loamy foil •, this lome years will produce feeds in Eng- 
land. It grows naturally in Virginia. 
The third fort grows naturally in South Carolina, 
from whence I received the feeds. This plant riles a 
foot and a half high, with flat ftalks, garnifhed with 
oval fmooth leaves growing oppoflte •, the ftalks are 
terminated by three or four yellow flowers, growing 
clofe together, which are larger than thofe of the com- 
mon St. Johnfwort, and the petals of the flowers are 
hollow. This fort rarely produces feeds in England, 
but it may be propagated by cuttings made of the 
young fhoots in May, which, if planted in pots, and 
plunged into a very moderate hot-bed, will take root 
in five or fix weeks, when they may be tranfplanted 
into a warm border, where they will endure the cold 
of our ordinary winters •, but in fevere frofts they are 
frequently deftroyed, unlels the roots are covered 
with tan to keep out the froft. 
Thefe plants have little beauty, fo are feldom culti- 
vated but in botanic gardens for the fake of variety. 
ASCYRUM BALEARICUM. 
ASCYRUM MAGNO FLORE. 
ASCYRUM VULGARE. 
A S H-T REE. See Fraxinus. 
ASHES are efteemed a good fuperficial drefling for 
corn and meadow land, as they give a new ferment 
to fuch lands as are in any degree fluggifh and in- 
adtive, and enrich thofe which are jejune and flow, 
being endowed with Angular qualities to make them 
prolific. 
All forts of afhes, indeed, contain in them a very 
rich fertile fait, and are the beft manure of any to lay 
upon cold wet land ; but then they ought to be kept 
dry, that the rain may not wafh away their fait. Ex- 
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perier.ce has fhewn, that the allies of any fort of ve- 
getable are very advantageous to land, by the im- 
provement that has been made in moft places in Eng- 
land, by burning bean-ftalks, fern, furze, heath, 
ledge, ilraw, ftubble, &c. 
Coal afhes, or fuch as are made of Newcaftle, Scotch, 
and other pit-coal, are much recommended by fome ; 
but the firft are moft approved of, becaufe they con- 
tain a greater quantity of nitrous and fulphureous 
matter than the others, though the reft are good. 
There is no drefling fo good for grafs ground as the 
fea-coal afhes, efpecially for cold wet land, and where 
it is fubject to rufties or mofs ; for thefe will deftroy 
both, and occaflon the grafs to be much finer : but 
this drefling fliould be laid on the land early in win- 
ter, otherwife they will do harm the firft fummer - s 
for when they are laid on the ground in the fpring, 
they will caufe the grafs to burn as foon as the warmth 
comes on ; whereas thofe that were put on early- 
enough to receive the winter’s rain, will be wafhed 
into the ground before the warm feafon, whereby 
the grafs will have the benefit of it the firft year. 
Where the land is poor and four, producing rufhes 
and mofs only, there fhould be at leaft twenty loads 
of allies laid upon each acre •, for a flight drefling 
will not anfwer the defign of killing weeds and mofs, 
nor will it be lufflcient to enrich land which is cold 
and fluggifh, therefore it will be better to lay a good 
drefling at firft, than to do it at feveral intervals •, for 
one fubftantial drefling will continue the land longer 
in heart than three flight ones, befldes the advantage 
before-mentioned. 
But thefe ought to be applied fuperficially, and not 
too near the roots of plants ; and if fo, there are few 
plants but will receive benefit by them, by their ni- 
trous and fulphureous qualities being wafhed down by 
the rain, which will open by the ftrength of water, 
and caufe it to heave, in fome degree, as lime will 
do when water is thrown upon it. 
Wood-afhes are commended as the principal of fu- 
perficial dreffings for land, in that they contain a ve- 
getative kind of fait. 
Kiln-afhes, i. e. fuch as are made of ftraw, furze, 
&c. are, by fome, accounted as good as any of the 
fpirituous improvements of lands that are lightifh ; 
but for fuch as are heavy, they are looked upon as 
fcarce folid and ponderous enough. Thefe allies the 
maltfters in the weft country fift over their corn and 
grafs, which are fuppofed, by their heat, to caufe a 
fermentation, a hollownefs and loofenefs in the 
mould •, by which means the rains enter it the more 
eaflly, and difpofe the earth for giving up an affump- 
tion of its vegetative augment. 
But thefe being light, ought never to be ftrewed nor 
flfted in windy weather, becaufe they would be blown 
away ; and if it could be fo ordered as to be done juft 
before fnow or rain, it would be the better. 
Soap-afhes (i. e. after the foap-boilers have done with 
them) are very proper for lands that are very cold 
and four, and to kill weeds of all forts : and Sir 
Hugh Plat mentions one at Ware, who having a piece 
of land over-run with broom and furze, manured it 
with foap-afhes, and had an incredible crop of wheat 
for Ax years fucceftively. 
Pot-afhes, after the pot-afti men have done with 
them, are efteemed good for moft forts of land ; but 
as they have been wet, and moft of the fait drav/n off” 
by the lee, they ought to be laid on much thicker 
than other afhes. 
Turf- afhes are very good for all forts of land, but 
efpecially for clay lands, but will be much better if 
mixed with lime. 
But all thefe allies ought to be kept dry, from the 
time they are made till they are ufed, elfe the rains 
will both wafh away their goodnefs, and alfo make 
them clod, efpecially fome of the laid mentioned, 
which will prevent their fpreading. 
And befldes, one load of allies that has been kept 
dry, will go as far as two that have been expoied 
to the rain : and coal-afhes, if moiftened with 
cham- 
/ SeeFlYPERi- 
f CUM. 
