A DISCOURSE

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VIBURNUM.

The VIBURNUM z , or WAY-FARING TREE, growing plentifullyin every corner, makes pins for the yokes of oxen; and superstitiouspeople think that it protects their cattle from being bewitched, and placethe shrub about their stalls: It certainly makes the most pliant and bestbands to faggot with. The leaves and berries are astringent, and makean excellent gargle for loose teeth, sore throat, and stop fluxes. Theleaves decocted to a lye, not only colour the hair black, but fasten the■roots; and the bark of the root, macerated under ground, well beaten,.and often boiled, serves for bird-lime.

YUCCA.

The AMERICAN YUCCA* is a hardier plant than we take it to be *for it will suffer our sharpest winter, as I have seen by experience, with-out that trouble and care of setting it in -cases in our Conservatories ofhyemation; such as have beheld it in flower (which is not indeed till itbe of some age) must needs admire the beauty of it; and it being easilymultiplied, why should it not make one of the best and most ornamentalFences in the world for our gardens, with its natural palisadoes, as wellas the more tender, and impatient of moisture, the Aloe, does for theirvineyards in Languedoc ? But we believe nothing improvable, save whatour grandfathers taught us. Finally, let trial likewise be made of thatThorn, mentioned by Captain Liggon in his History of Barbadoes,whether it would not be made to grow amongst us, and prove as convenient

*'Of the VIBURNUM there are nine species; but what is here meant is the VIBUR-NUM (IAntana) foliis cordatis serratis venosis subtus- tomcntosis. Lin. Sp. PI. 384-Wayfaring-tree. It is of the clafs and order Pentandria Trigynia. The laurustixus isthe only Evergreen of this Genus.

1 Of the YUCCA there are four Species, and I imagine that the following is the kindrecommended by Mr. Evelyn-:

YUCCA (gloriosa ) foliis integerrimis. Lin.Sp. PI. 456. adam’s needle. It is of theclafs and order Hexandria Momgynia. When carefully attended to, the Yucca may be madeto grow in the open ground, but will not perfect its seed with us. It is a native ofCanada .