The abridgement of the gardeners dictionary / [Philip Miller].

  • Miller, Philip, 1691-1771
Date:
1763
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The abridgement of the gardeners dictionary / [Philip Miller]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    36/958
    The fixth fort is a biennial plant, with oblong hoary leaves, placed alternately; the flowers come out from the wings of the flalks Angle ; thefe grow very clofe to the ftaik, .and are fucceeded by oval comprelled feed vefiels, fhaped like thofe of the Lunaria, which contain many flat feeds. It is propagated by feeds, which mull be fown upon dry- ground, or lime rubbilh, and treated like the former ibrts. The feventh fort is a low fpreading plant, garniflied with oblong hoary leaves which continue through the year: the flowers are produced in fmall cluflers at the extremity of the branches; thefe are of a bright yellow colour, confid¬ ing of four petals placed in form of a crofs. This fort grows naturally in the iilands of the Archipelago, but is hardy enough to live in the open air in England, in a dry foil and a warm fituation. It is propagated by feeds, and feldom lads longer than two or three years. AMARANTHQJDES. See Gomphrena. AMARANTHUS. Amaranth, or Flower-gentle. The Characters are, It hath male andfemale flowers in the fame plant. The flower hath no petals, but the ejnpalement confifls of three or five leaves; this is common to both fexes. The ?nale flowers have in flome /pecks three, and in others five fender flamina. The female flowers have three Jkort flyfes. The feed vejf 'el has one cell, in which is lodged a flngle globular feed. The Species are, 1. Amaranthus capitellis triandris fubratundis ample xi- caulibus foliis lanceolatis acuminatis. Lin. Sp. PI. 989. The Amaranthus tricolor. 2. Amaranthus capitellis triandris flubrotundis fleflfilibus foliis lanceolatis flparfls. Lin. Sp. Plant. 989. Amaranthus bicolor. 3. Amaranthus racemis pentandris cylindricis pendulislon- gijflmis. Hort. Cliff. 443. Flower-gentle with five damina, and very long hanging cylindrical fpikes. 4. Amaranthus racemis cylindricis pendulis, caule credo arloreo. This is the tree Amaranthus. The fird fort has been long cultivated in gardens for the beauty of its variegated leaves, which are of three colours, viz. green, yellow, and red; thefe are very elegantly mix¬ ed, and when the plants are in full vigour, the leaves are large, and clofely fet from the bottom to the top of the flalks, and the branches form a fort of pyramid ; fo that there is not a more beautiful plant than this, when it is in full ludre. From the leaves of this plant being party co¬ loured, like the feathers of parrots, fome botanids have fe- parated this fpecies from the others, and condituted a genus of it, by the title of Pflttacus. The fecond fort hath been introduced into the Englifh gar¬ dens much later than the former. This grows to the fame height with the former, and in the manner of its growth greatly refemblcs it; but the leaves have only two colours, which are an obfeure purple, and a bright crimfon ; thefe are fo blended as to fet off each other, and when the plants are vigorous, they make a fine appearance. The third fort grows naturally in Atnerica, from whence I received the feeds : this grows with an upright hem, up¬ ward of three feet high ; the leaves and dalks are of a pale green colour; the fpikes of the flowers are produced from the wings of the flalks, and alfo in cluders at the extremity of the branches: they are very long and hang downward, being of a bright purple colour. I have meafured fome of thefe fpikes, which were two feet and an half long, fo that many of them have reached the ground. The fourth fort hath a flrong flem, which rifes to the height of feven or eight feet, fending forth many horizon¬ tal branches toward the top ; thefe are garnifhed with ob¬ long rough green leaves. At the extremity of every fhoot, the 7 cylindrical fpikes of a purple colour are produced, which hang downward, but thefe are feldom half the length of thole of the former fort, and are much thicker. This is the fort of Amaranth, which is diredled by the College to be ufed in medicine. Thefe two forts mud be raifed upon a hot-bed, and in June they may be planted into the borders of the pleafure- garden ; ihading them till they have taken new root, and in dry weather they fhould be watered. The third fort fel¬ dom fails to ripen its feeds in the open air, but the fourth fort feldom ripens its feeds abroad when the autumn proves cold and wet ; therefore one plant of this fort lhould be potted, to be removed to flicker early in. the autumn to obtain good feeds. The fird two forts of Amaranths mud be fown on a good hot-bed in February, or the beginning of March at farthed ; and in about a fortnight’s time, if the bed is in good tem¬ per, the plants will rife ; when you mud prepare another hot-bed, covered with good rich light earth, about four inches thick ; when this bed is in a proper temper to re¬ ceive the young plants, you fhould raifethem up with your finger, fo as not to break off the tender roots, and prick them into your new hot-bed about four inches didance every way, giving them a gentle watering to fettle the earth to their roots ; but in doing this, be very cautious not to bear the young plants down to the ground by hafly watering, which rarely rife again, or at lead fo as to recover their former flrength in a long time, but very often rot in the flems, and die quite away. In the middle of the day keep them fereened with mats from the great heat of the fun, and give them air by rai¬ ling up the glades with a fmall done ; and, if the glades are wet, it will be proper to turn them every day, in good weather, that they may dry; for the moidure which is oc- cafioned by the fermentation of the dung, and perfpiration of the plants, is of a noxious quality, and very unkindly to plants; fo that if the weather happens to prove bad, that you cannot turn your glaffes, it will be of great fer- vice to your plants to wipe off all the moidure two or three times a day with a woollen cloth, to prevent its dropping upon the plants. When your plants are firmly rooted, and begin to grow, you muflobferve to give them air every day, more or lefs, as the weather is cold or hot, to prevent their drawing up too fad, which greatly weakens their flems. In about three weeks or a month’s time, thefe plants will have grown fo as to meet, and will Aand in need of ano¬ ther hot-bed, which fhould be of a moderate temper, and covered with the fame rich earth about fix inches thick, in which they lhould be removed, obferving to take them up with as much earth about their roots as poflible, and plant them feven or eight inches didance every way, giving them fome water to fettle the earth about their roots ; but be very careful not to water them heavily, fo as to bear down the plants, as was before, directed ; and keep them fhaded in the heat of the day, until they have taken frefn roots; and be fure to refredi them often gently with water, and give them air in proportion to the heat of the weather, covering the glades with mats every night, led the cold chill your beds, and flop the growth of the plants. In the beginning of May you mud provide another hot¬ bed, which fhould be covered with a deep frame, that your plants may have room to grow. Upon this hot-bed you mud fet as many three-penny pots as can dand within the compafs of the frame ; thefe pots mud be filled with good rich earth, and the cavities between each pot filled up with any common earth, to prevent the heat of the bed from evaporating, and filling the frame with noxious fleams; ther| with a trowel, or fome fuch inflrument, take up your plants from the former hot bed, with as much earth as poflible to their