ves entirely subsist upon
it, and when transplanted, have been sometimes known to raise good
houses with single plants of this sort.

As the _Irish_ soil is accounted the best, others are as remarkably bad
for its cultivation; and the least and worst in the world are said to be
about _Harborough_ and the _Forest of Sherard_.

The stem seems to be of the _sensitive_ tribe, tho' herein differing
from the more common _Sensitives_; that whereas they are known to shrink
and retire from even the gentlest touch of a Lady's hand, this rises on
the contrary, and extends itself when it is so handled.

In winter it is not easy to raise these trees without a hot bed; but in
warmer weather they stand well in the open air.

In the latter season they are subject to become weak and flaccid,
and want support; for which purpose some gardeners have thought of
splintering them up with _birchen Twigs_, which has seem'd of some
service for the present, tho' the plants have very soon come to the
same or a more drooping state than before.

The late ingenious Mr. _Motteux_ thought of restoring a fine plant he
had in this condition, by tying it up with a _Tomex_ or cord made of the
bark of the _Vitex_, or _Hempen-Tree_: but whether he made the ligature
too straight, or that the nature of the _Vitex_ is really in itself
pernicious, he quite kill'd his plant thereby; which makes this
universally condemn'd, as a dangerous experiment.

Some _Virtuosi_ have thought of improving their trees for some purposes,
by taking off the _Nutmegs_, which is however a bad way; they never
_seed_ after, and are good for little more than making whistles of,
which are imported every year from _Italy_, and sell indeed at a good
price.

Some other curious Gentlemen have endeavour'd to inoculate their plants
on the stock of the _Medlar_ and that with a manure of _human Ordure_,
but this has never been approv'd; and I have known some tree brought to
a _very ill end_ by such management.

The natural soil is certainly the best for their propagation; and that
is in hollow places, that are warm and near salt water, best known by
their producing the same sort of _Tendrils_ as are observ'd about the
roots of the _Arbor_ itself. Some cautions however are very necessary,
especially to young _Botanists_; and first, to be very diligent in
keeping their trees clean and neat; a pernicious sort of insect, not,
unlike a _Morpione_ or _Cimex_, being very subject to breed among