BET 
deep in the ground. The autumn is the bell feafon 
to fow them, and in a fhady fituation, the plants will 
thrive better than when they are expofed to the full 
fun ; for in all places where there are any large trees 
their feeds fall, and the plants come up well without 
care ; fo that if the young plants are not deftroyed by 
cattle, there is generally plenty of them in ail the 
woods where there are any of thefe trees. Thefe wild 
plants fhould be carefully taken up, fo as not to de- 
ftroy their roots. The ground where they are to be 
planted, will require no preparation ; all that is ne- 
celfary to be done, is to loofen it with a lpade 
or mattock, in the places where the plants are to Hand, 
making holes to receive their roots, covering them 
again when the plants are placed, and clofing the earth 
hard to their roots. If the plants are young, and 
have not much top, they will require no pruning ; 
but where they have bufhy heads, they fhould be 
fhortened to prevent their being fliaken and dilplaceci 
by the wind. When the plants have taken root, they 
will require no other care, but to cut down the great 
weeds which would over-hang the plants ; which may 
be done with a fickle, being careful not to cut or in- 
jure the young trees. This need not be repeated of- 
tener than two or three times in a fummer the two firfl 
years, after which time the plants will be ftrong enough 
to keep down the weeds, or at leaf! be out of danger 
from them. 
Thefe may be planted any time from the middle of 
O&ober till the middle of March, when the ground is 
not frozen ; but in dry land the autumn is the bed 
feafon, and the fpring for moifl. The diflance which 
they fhould be planted, is fix feet fquare, that they 
may foon cover the ground, and by handing clofe, 
they will draw each other up ; for in fituations where 
they are much expofed, if they are not pretty dole, 
they will not thrive fo well. 
If the plants take kindly to the ground, they will be 
fit to cut in about ten'years ; and afterward they may 
be cut every feventh or eighth year, if they are de- 
flgned for the broom-makers only ; but where they 
are intended for hoops, they fhould not be cut oftener 
than every twelfth year. 
The expence of making thefe plantations in places 
where the young plants can be eafiiy procured, will not 
exceed forty {hillings per acre, and the after expence 
of cleaning about twenty {hillings a year more ; fo that 
the whole will not be more than 3 1. and if the land 
fo planted be of little value, the proprietor cannot 
make better ufe of his money j for whefi the/ wood is 
cut, it will repay the expence with intereft, and a 
perpetual flock upon the ground. I have feen feve- 
ral of thefe plantations made upon land which would 
not lett for one fhilling per acre, which has produced 
from 10 to 12I. an acre, clear of the expence in cut- 
ting, and this every twelfth year. The broom-makers 
are conflant cuftomers for Birch, in all places within 
twenty miles of London, or where it is near water 
carriage ; in other parts the hoop-benders are the pur- 
chafers j but the larger trees are often bought by the 
turners, and the wood is ufed for making ox-yokes, 
and other inflruments of hufbandry. 
In fome of the northern parts of Europe, the wood 
of this tree is greatly ufed for making of carriages 
and wheels, being hard and of long duration. In 
France it is generally ufed for making wooden fhoes. 
It makes very good fuel. 
In fome places thefe trees are tapped in the fpring, 
and the fap drawn out to make Birch wine, which has 
been recommended for the Bone and gravel, as- is alfo 
the fap unfermented. The bark of the Birch-tree is 
almoB incorruptible. In Sweden the houfes are co- 
vered with it, where it laBs many years. It fre- 
quently happens, that the wood is entirely rotten, and 
the bark perfectly found and good. 
The fecond fort grows naturally in the northern parts 
of Europe, and upon the Alps *, this feldom rifes above 
two or three feet high, having {lender branches, gar- 
nifhed with round leaves, but feldom produces either 
male or female flowers here. It is preferved in fome 
curious gardens for the fake of variety, but is a plant 
of no ufe. 
The third and fourth forts grow naturally in North 
America, from whence their feeds have been brought 
to Europe, and many of the plants have been raifed, 
which thrive very fail here. In Canada thefe trees 
grow to a large fize, where the third fort is called 
Merifier. The natives of that .country make canoes 
of the bark of thefe trees, which are very light, and 
of long duration. 
Both thefe forts may be propagated by feeds in the 
fame manner as the Aril, and are equally hardy ; fome 
of the trees now begin to produce their katkins in 
England, fo that we may hope to have plenty of their 
feeds of our own growth, for at preient we are fup- 
plied with them from America. As thefe grow more 
vigoroufly than the common fort, and thrive on the 
moil barren ground, they may be cultivated to great 
advantage in England, for their wood is much 
efleemed in Canada, where the trees grow to a large 
fize : and they are by no means an unfighdy tree In 
parks, for their ferns are ft r ait, the hark fmooth, 
and their leaves are much larger than thole of the 
common Birch, fo may be planted in , fuch places 
where few other trees will thrive. 
BIDENS. Tourn. I ml. R. Li. 362. tab. 262. Lin. 
Gen. Plant. 840. Water Hemp Agrimony. 
The Characters are, 
The common ernpalement is erebl, and often equals com- 
pofed of finall , oblong, concave leaves ; it hath a com- 
pound flower ; the middle cr dijk is compofed of herma- 
phrodite florets, which are funnel-fhaped and quinquefld. 
Thefe have five floort capillary ft amina, with cylindrical 
flummits , and an oblong germen flupporting a fmgle fly le the 
length of the ftamina , crowned by two oblong reflexed flig- 
ma. The female florets which compofe the border are 
naked thefe are all fucceeded by a Jingle , angular , oh t ufe 
feed, having two or more briflles or teeth , by which they 
faften themf elves to whatever pafj'es by them when ripe. 
This genus is ranged in the firft fedlion of Linnteus’s 
nineteenth clafs, intitled Syngenefia Polygamia se- 
qualis, the flowers being compofed of hermaphro- 
dite and female florets, which are fucceeded by 
feeds. 
There are feveral fpecies of this plant, which are 
feldom admitted into gardens, fome of which are 
common weeds in England, therefore I fliall only 
mention thofe which are frequently preferved in the 
gardens of the curious. 
1. Bidens ( Frondofa ) foliis pinnatis ferratis feminibus 
ereblo-confiantibus calycibus frondofis corollis radia- 
tis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 832. Water Hemp Agrimony with 
winged Jawed leaves, feeds ft ending ere A, a very bufloy 
emp element, and radiated flower. Bidens Canadeniis 
latifolia flore luteo. Tourn. Infl. 362. 
2. Bidens ( Nodiflora ) foliis obiongis integerrimis caule 
dichotomo fioribus folitariis feffilibus. Lin. Sp. Plant. 
832. Hemp Agrimony with oblong entire leaves , a 
forked ftalk, atid a fmgle flower growing elefe to the 
ftalk. Bidens nodiflora brunellae folio. Hort. Elth. 
52 . 
3. Bidens ( Nivea ) foliis fimplicibus fubhaftatis ferratis 
petiolatis, fioribus globoids, pedunculis elongatis fe- 
minibus las vi *ous. Lin. Sp. Plant. 8 3 3 • Hemp Agri- 
mony with fmgle Jawed leaves having foot-ftalks , globu- 
lar flowers with longer foot-ftalks, and fmooth feeds. 
Bidens fcabra flore nivea, folio trilobate. Hort. Elth. 
55 - 
4. Bidens ( Frutefcens ) folds ovatis ferratis petiolatis, 
caule fruticofo. Hort. Cliff. 399. Hemp Agrimony with 
oval flawed leaves having foot-ftalks , and a Jhrubby 
ftalk. 
5. Bidens (Jean dens) foliis ternatis acutis ferratis caule 
fcandente fioribus paniculatis. Three-leaved Hemp A- 
grimony , with pointed flawed lobes , a climbing ftalk, and 
flowers growing in panicles. Chrysanthemum trifoliatum 
fcandens, flore luteo femine longo rofirato bidente. 
Sloan. Cat. Jam. 125. 
6. Bidens ( Bullata ) foliis ovatis ferratis, inferioribus op- 
pofitis, fuperioribus ternatis intermedio majore. Lin. 
L 1 Sp. 
