COM 
pretty large and roundifh, and three fmaller which 
are green ; the feeds are like thofe of the other forts. 
It flowers in June, July, and Auguft, and the feeds 
ripen in autumn, loon after which the ftalks decay, 
but the roots may be preferved two or three years, if 
they are planted in a ftove in winter. 
The fifth fort grows naturally in the Weft-Indies j the 
feeds of this were fent me from the iftand of Barbuda. 
This hath trailing ftalks like the firft, which are gar- 
nifhed with narrow graflfy leaves, embracing the 
ftalks with their bafe •, the flowers are produced at the 
end of the ftalks, upon thick foot-ftalks, three flow- 
ers generally fitting on each. The flowers have three 
equal large petals of a Iky blue, and three fmaller 
which are green. Thefe flower in July and Auguft, 
but have not perfected feeds in England. 
All the forts are propagated by feeds ; the firft will 
grow if fown in the full ground ; but if the feeds are 
flown upon a warm border of light earth in autumn, 
the plants will rife early in the fpring ; fo from thefe 
goods feeds may be expedted, if the feafon proves 
favourable; whereas thofe which are fown in the fpring, 
. often lie long in the ground, fo rarely ripen their 
feed. Thefe plants have but little beauty, io that 
two or three of each fort, is as many as molt people 
choofe to have ; therefore if the feeds are fown in 
autumn where the plants are defigned to remain, or 
the feeds permitted to fcatter, the plants will require 
no farther care, but to keep them clear from weeds. 
The fecond fort hath a perennial root ; this feldom 
ripens feeds in England, but the roots fend out off- 
fets, by which the plant is eafily propagated. But it 
Is too tender to live in the full ground in winter, un- 
lefs it has a warm ftieltered fituation ; therefore 
fhould be planted in pots, and ftieltered under a 
common frame in winter, and expofed abroad in lum- 
mer -, the beft time to tranfplant and part thefe roots 
is about the end of March. 
The other forts are tender, fo their feeds muft be 
fown on a moderate hot-bed in the fpring, and when 
the plants are two inches high, they fhould be tranf- 
planted to a frefh hot-bed to bring the plants forward; 
when they have taken freflh root, they fhould have 
a large fliare of frefh air admitted to them every day 
in warm weather, to prevent their growing weak; and 
In June thefe may be carefully taken up, and tranf- 
planted on a warm border of light earth, oblerving 
to fhade them till they have taken frefh root ; after 
which they will require no other care, but to keep 
them clean from w r eeds. With this management the 
plants will flower and produce good feeds. 
The third and fourth forts may be continued, if they 
are planted in pots, and in autumn placed in the 
bark-ftove ; or if the roots of the fourth fort are taken 
out of the ground in autumn, and kept in a warm 
place in winter, they may be planted again in the 
fpring, placing them on a hot-bed to forward their 
fhooting, and thefe will produce ftronger plants than 
thofe which rife from feeds. 
COMMONS and COMMON-FIELDS. See 
Land. 
COMPARTMENTS are beds, plats, borders, 
and walks, laid out according to the form of the 
ground, and ingenuity of the artift, and depend more 
on a good fancy than any rules. Thefe are diverfified 
in knots, flower-gardens, or parterres, of which there 
are great variety, and may be diverfified infinitely, 
according to the fancy of the defigners. 
Plain compartments are pieces of ground divided into 
equal fquares and flower-beds, marked out by the 
line, of equal length and breadth. 
Some perfons allow to thefe fquares, borders of two 
feet in breadth, and not more, if the plat of ground 
be fmall ; but if they be reafonably large, three feet; 
and they edge the borders with Box, or upright hardy 
Thyme, or flome other aromatic herbs or flowers, for 
the fake of the greater neatnefs. 
And in order to prelerve the paths and alleys of com- 
. partments firm, even, and durable, they lay them 
with a coat of fand or gravel, two or three inches 
3 ' 
thick, keeping them hoed and weeded as often as 
there fnould be occafion. 
Thefe compartments were much efteemed by the 
French, whofe gardens were all laid out into feveral 
compartments, falons, bofquets, &c. after the manner 
of architects in buildings ; but thefe ftiff, unnatural 
gardens are now juftly exploded, and a much better 
tafte has of late prevailed in the Enghfn gardens. 
COMPOSTS are lb called of compofta, or com- 
pofita, 'Lot. compounds, or componere, Lat. to com- 
pound or mix : and in hufbandry and gardening they 
fignify feveral forts of foils or ^earthy matter mixed 
together, in order to make a manure for aflifting the 
natural earth in the work of vegetation* by way of 
amendment or improvement. 
Compofts are various, and ought to be different, ac- 
cording to the different nature or quality of the loils 
which they are defigned to meliorate : and according 
as the land is either light, fandy, loofe, heavy, clayey, 
or cloddy. A light loofe land requires a compoft of 
a heavy nature, as the fcouring of deep ditches, 
ponds, &c. 
So on the other hand, a land that is heavy, clayey* 
or cloddy, requires a compoft of a more iprightly and 
fiery nature, that will infinuate itfelf into the lumpiftl 
clods ; which if they were not thus managed, would 
very much obftruft the work of vegetation. 
The great ufe of compofts is for Inch plants as are 
preferved in pots or tubs ; or in fmall beds or borders 
of flower-gardens ; which is what I ihall here men- 
tion, and ftiall treat of thofe compofts or drefiings, 
which are ufed in gardens and fields, under the ar- 
ticles of Dung and Manure. 
As fome plants delight in a rich light foil, others in 
a poor fandy foil, and fome in a loamy foil ; fo there 
fhould be different compofts prepared, in all thofe 
gardens, where a great variety of plants are culti- 
vated : and this is much more neceffary in countries 
at a great diftance from London, than in the neigh- 
bourhood of it, becaufe there is fo great variety of 
lands, within ten miles round London, which have 
been fo long drefied and cultivated, that a fupply of 
earth fit for all forts of plants, may be eafily pro-* 
cured ; but in fome places which are at a diftance 
from large towns, it is very difficult to procure a 
quantity of earth proper for the choicer forts of flow- 
ers and plants ; therefore the compofts will require 
more care, and fhould be mixed a confiderable time 
longer before they are ufed ; that they may have the 
advantage of heat and cold, to meliorate and improve 
them ; and fhould be frequently turned over, that 
the parts may be well mixed and incorporated, and 
the clods well broken and divided. 
Almoft every one who hath written on this fubjefl, 
hath directed the procuring of the upper furface of 
earth from a pafture ground, as one of the princi- 
pal ingredients, in moft compofts for plants, which 
is certainly a very good one, provided it has time to 
meliorate before it is ufed ; for if this is mixed up 
haftily, and put into pots or tubs, before it has had 
a winter’s froft, and fummer’s heat, to loofen the 
parts effe&ually ; it will unite and cake together, fo 
hard, as to ftarve the plants that are put into it. For 
all earth when put into pots or tubs, is much more 
apt to bind, than when it is in beds ; therefore fhould 
be in proportion made loofer, according to the nature 
of the plants for which it is defigned, than when it is 
intended for beds or borders. So that if this earth 
from a pafture, cannot be prepared and mixed at leaft 
one year before it is ufed, it will be much better to 
take the earth of a kitchen-garden which has been 
well wrought and dunged ; but this fhould be clear 
from all roots of trees and bad weeds. If this earth 
is well mixed with the other compofts fix months, and 
often turned over, it will be fitter for pots and tubs, 
than the other will in twice that time, as I have fre- 
quently experienced, fo can write from knowledge, 
not from theory. This earth being the principal in- 
gredient in thofe compofts defigned for fuch plants as 
require a rich foil ; the n ext is to have, a qu antity of very 
rotter. 
