D R O ' """ t> U N 
mediately from the root, as thole of the common A- 
rum. This hath not yet flowered in England, fo 1 
can give no further account ot it. i his grows natu- 
rally^ in Siberia, fo requires a fnady fituation, and 
will bear the greateft cold of this country. 
Thefe plants are preferved in the gardens of the cu- 
rious in England and Holland, more for the fake of 
variety than for beauty, for except the firft fort, 
there is not any of them which make much appear- 
ance ; that indeed may be buffered to have a place 
againft the wall of the ftove, over which it will 
fpread, and cover the nakednefs of the wall j and the 
leaves remaining all the year, which are fo remarkably 
perforated, make a Angular appearance. 
All the other forts of Dragon are tender plants, fo 
will not live in this country, unlefs they are preferved 
in the warmeft ftoves ; the feveral American forts 
grow naturally in the woods in Jamaica, and other 
hot parts of America 5 the climbing forts twill them- 
felves round the trunks of trees, into which they fallen 
their roots, which are fent forth from their joints, and 
rife to the height of thirty or forty feet. Thefe 
climbing forts are eafily propagated by cuttings, 
which, being very fucculent, may be brought over 
to England in a box of dry hay, if they are' packed 
up feparate, fo as not to injure each other by the 
moifture, which is apt to flow out at the part where 
they are cut off, which may occasion a fermentation, 
and thereby rot the cuttings. When the cuttings ar- 
rive, they fhould be planted in lrnall pots filled with 
light frefh earth, and plunged into a hot-bed of tan- 
ners bark, being v&ry careful not to let them haye 
too much moifture until they have taken root, left it 
rot them : when they have taken root, they miift be 
frequently refrelhed with water ; and when they are 
grown pretty large, they fhould be placed in the 
bark-bed in the ftove, where they muft be placed 
near fome ftrong plants, to which they may fallen 
themfelves, otherwife they will not thrive ; for though 
they will fend forth roots at their joints, which will 
fallen to the mortar of the ftove, when placed againft 
the wall, yet they will not thrive near fo well as 
againft a ftrong plant, which will afford them nourifn- 
inent. 
The other forts are propagated by offsets from their 
roots ; thefe may be procured from the countries of 
their growth, and fhould be planted in tubs of earth, 
about a month before they are put on board the fhip 
to tranfport them •, thefe tubs fhould be placed in a 
fliady fituation until they have taken root. In their 
paffage great care fhould be had to keep them from 
fait water, as alfo not to let them have too much wa- 
ter given them-, for if they have a little water once 
or twice a week at moft, while they are in a hot cli- 
mate, and when they are come into a cooler climate, 
once in a fortnight, this will be fufficient for them ; 
and it fhould be done fparingly, left it rot them for 
if the tops of the plants fhould decay for want of 
water in their paffage, if the roots are not rotted, they 
will foon recover with proper care. 
When the plants arrive, they fhould be transplanted 
into pots filled with light frefh earth, and plunged 
into a hot-bed of tanners bark, and gently watered 
until they have taken good root, after which time 
they will require to be frequently refrelhed with wa- 
ter ; but as their Items are very fucculent, they muft 
not have too much moifture. Thefe plants fhould 
be conftantly kept in the ftove, where, in hot wea- 
ther, they fhould have frefh air admitted to them ; 
but in winter they rnuft be kept very warm, otherwife 
they cannot be preferved in this country. 
Thefe plants will rife to the height of three, four, or 
five feet, . and will afford a very agreeable variety 
amongft other tender exotic plants in the ftove. 
D RAC UNC ULUS PR ATEN SIS. See A- 
CHILLEA. 
DRAGON. See Dracontium. 
D R O S E BjA. Ros Solis, or Sun-dew. 
We have two or three fpeeies of this plant, which 
grow naturally upon bogs in many parts of England, 
and there are three or four other forts, which are nfo 
tives of warmer countries $ but as thefe cannot be cul- 
tivated in gardens, unlefs where there are bogs, it 
would be needlefs to defcribe them. 
The common round-leaved fort is ufed in medicine* 
fo is gathered by the herb-folks who fupply the 
markets. 
D R Y A S, Cinquefoil Avens. 
There are two fpeeies of this genus, which grow na- 
turally in Scotland and Ireland, upon mountainous 
places, where the foil is wet.; one of them hath five 
petals to the flower, and winged leaves, the other 
hath eight petals to the floVer, and Ample leaves ; 
but as neither of the plants make much appearance* 
they are rarely preferved except in fome botanic gar- 
dens for variety. 
DULCAMARA. See Solanui.t. 
DUNGS are defigned to repair the decays of ex- 
haufted or worn-out lands, and to cure the defeats 
of land, which are as various in their qualities as the 
dungs are, that are ufed to meliorate and reftote them : 
fome lands abound too much in coldnefs, moifture, 
and heavinefs ; others' again are too light and dry, 
and fo, to anfwer this, fome dungs are hot arid light, 
as that of fheep, horfes, pigeons, ,&e. others again 
are fat and cooling, as that of oxen, cows, hogs, &c. 
And as the remedies that are to be ufed muft be con- 
trary to the diftempers they are to cure, fo the dung 
of oxen, cows, and hogs, muft be given to clean, 
dry, light earths, to make them fatter and clofer, and 
hot and dry dungs to meliorate cold, moift, and heavy 
lands.. 
There are two peculiar properties in dungs, the ons 
is to produce a certain fenfible heat, capable of pro- 
ducing fome confiderable effefl, which properties are 
feldom found but in the dung of horfes and mules, 
while it is newly made, and a little moift ; the other 
property of dung is, to fatten the earth and render it 
more fruitful. 
The dung of horfes and mules is of admirable ufe in 
gardens in the winter time, becaufe it then animates 
and enlivens all things ; and, in fome meafure, fup- 
plies the office which is performed by the heat of the 
fun in the fummer time, affording us all the novel- 
ties of the fpring, as Afparagus, Cucumbers, Ra- 
diihes, fallads, &c. Horfe dung is the belt improve- 
ment for cold jejune lands that we can procure in 
any quantity ; but yet horfe dung being ufed alone, 
or when it is too new, is frequently prejudicial to 
fome plants ; and if it be fpread thin over lands m 
the fummer time, it is of very little fervice, becaufe 
the fun, drawing out all the virtue and goodnefs of 
it, renders it little better than thatch or dry ftraw * 
and though too much of it can fcarcely be ufed in a 
kitchen-garden for Cabbages, Cauliflowers, and all 
other plants that grow there, and require abundance 
of nourifhment yet may it be a fault to lay too much 
of it on corn-lands, becaufe it produces abundance 
of ftraw. v 
In very cold moift land, I have frequently feen new 
horfe dung buried as it came from the liable, and al- 
ways obferved that the crops have fucceeded better* 
than where the ground was dreffed with very rotten 
dung. 
Horfe dung being of a very hot nature, is belt for 
cold lands, and cow dung for hot lands ; and being 
mixed together, may make a very good manure for 
moft forts of foil, and for fome they may be mixed 
with mud. 
Sheeps dung and deers dung differ not much in 
their quality, and are efteemed by fome the bell of 
dungs for cold clays. Some recommend them to be 
beat into powder, and fpread very thin ove~ -’uturah 
or fpring crops, about four or five loads to ?, . 
after the fame manner as allies, malt dull, 6;\. ,c 
ftrewed. 
This I have feen praftifed upon coin, and alfo v ... 
grafs land, to great advantage for the firft yv. 
but thefe light dreffings do not laft long, there! . 
require to be often repeated! 
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