{Pease.}
As For All The Sorts Of English Pease That We Have Yet
Made Tryal Of, They Thrive Very Well In Carolina.
Particularly,
the white and gray Rouncival, the common Field-Pease,
and Sickle-Pease yield very well, and are of a good Relish.
As for the other sorts, I have not seen any made tryal of as yet,
but question not their coming to great Perfection with us.
{Kidney-Bean.}
The Kidney-Beans were here before the English came, being very plentiful
in the Indian Corn-Fields.
{Roots.}
The Garden-Roots that thrive well in Carolina, are Carrots, Leeks,
Parsnips, Turneps, Potatoes, of several delicate sorts, Ground Artichokes,
Radishes, Horse-Radish, Beet, both sorts, Onions, Shallot, Garlick, Cives,
and the Wild-Onions.
{Sallads.}
The Sallads are the Lettice, Curl'd, Red, Cabbage, and Savoy.
The Spinage round and prickly, Fennel, sweet and the common Sort,
Samphire in the Marshes excellent, so is the Dock or Wild-Rhubarb,
Rocket, Sorrel, French and English, Cresses of several Sorts,
Purslain wild, and that of a larger Size which grows in the Gardens;
{No Purslain in Indian Fields.} for this Plant is never met withal
in the Indian Plantations, and is, therefore, suppos'd to proceed
from Cow-Dung, which Beast they keep not. Parsley two Sorts;
Asparagus thrives to a Miracle, without hot Beds or dunging the Land,
White-Cabbage from European or New-England Seed, for the People
are negligent and unskilful, and don't take care to provide Seed of their own.
The Colly-Flower we have not yet had an Opportunity to make Tryal of,
nor has the Artichoke ever appear'd amongst us, that I can learn.
Coleworts plain and curl'd, Savoys; besides the Water-Melons
of several Sorts, very good, which should have gone amongst the Fruits.
Of Musk-Melons we have very large and good, and several Sorts,
as the Golden, Green, Guinea, and Orange. Cucumbers long, short,
and prickly, all these from the Natural Ground, and great Increase,
without any Helps of Dung or Reflection. Pompions yellow and very large,
Burmillions, Cashaws, an excellent Fruit boil'd; Squashes, Simnals,
Horns, and Gourds; besides many other Species, of less Value,
too tedious to name.
{Pot-herbs, and others for Physick.}
Our Pot-herbs and others of use, which we already possess,
are Angelica wild and tame, Balm, Bugloss, Borage, Burnet,
Clary, Marigold, Pot-Marjoram, and other Marjorams, Summer and Winter Savory,
Columbines, Tansey, Wormwood, Nep, Mallows several Sorts, Drage red and white,
Lambs Quarters, Thyme, Hyssop of a very large Growth, sweet Bazil,
Rosemary, Lavender: The more Physical, are Carduus Benedictus,
the Scurvy-grass of America, I never here met any of the European sort;
Tobacco of many sorts, Dill, Carawa, Cummin, Anise, Coriander,
all sorts of Plantain of England, and two sorts spontaneous,
good Vulneraries; Elecampane, Comfrey, Nettle, the Seed from England,
none Native; Monks Rhubarb, Burdock, Asarum wild in the Woods,
reckon'd one of the Snake-Roots; Poppies in the Garden,
none wild yet discover'd; Wormseed, Feverfew, Rue, Ground-Ivy spontaneous,
but very small and scarce, Aurea virga, {Rattle-Snakes.}
four sorts of Snake-Roots, besides the common Species,
which are great Antidotes against that Serpent's Bite, and are easily rais'd
in the Garden; Mint; {James-Town-Weed, the Seed like Onion Seed.}
James-Town-Weed, so called from Virginia, the Seed it bears
is very like that of an Onion; it is excellent for curing Burns,
and asswaging Inflammations, but taken inwardly brings on
a sort of drunken Madness. One of our Marsh-Weeds, like a Dock,
has the same Effect, and possesses the Party with Fear and Watchings.
The Red-Root whose Leaf is like Spear-Mint, is good for
Thrushes and sore Mouths; Camomil, but it must be kept in the Shade,
otherwise it will not thrive; Housleek first from England;
Vervin; Night-Shade, several kinds; Harts-Tongue; Yarrow abundance,
Mullein the same, both of the Country; Sarsaparilla, and abundance more
I could name, yet not the hundredth part of what remains, a Catalogue of which
is a Work of many Years, and without any other Subject, would swell
to a large Volume, and requires the Abilities of a skilful Botanist:
Had not the ingenious Mr. Banister (the greatest Virtuoso we ever had
on the Continent) been unfortunately taken out of this World,
he would have given the best Account of the Plants of America,
of any that ever yet made such an Attempt in these Parts.
Not but we are satisfy'd, the Species of Vegetables in Carolina,
are so numerous, that it requires more than one Man's Age
to bring the chiefest Part of them into regular Classes;
the Country being so different in its Situation and Soil,
that what one place plentifully affords, another is absolutely a stranger to;
yet we generally observe, that the greatest Variety is found
in the Low Grounds, and Savanna's.
{Flowers.}
The Flower-Garden in Carolina is as yet arriv'd but to
a very poor and jejune Perfection. We have only two sorts of Roses;
the Clove-July-Flowers, Violets, Princes Feather, and Tres Colores.
There has been nothing more cultivated in the Flower-Garden,
which, at present, occurs to my Memory; but as for the wild
spontaneous Flowers of this Country, Nature has been so liberal,
that I cannot name one tenth part of the valuable ones; And since,
to give Specimens, would only swell the Volume, and give little Satisfaction
to the Reader, I shall therefore proceed to the Present State of Carolina,
and refer the Shrubs and other Vegetables of larger Growth, till hereafter,
and then shall deliver them and the other Species in their Order.
The Present State of Carolina.
When we consider the Latitude and convenient Situation of Carolina,
had we no farther Confirmation thereof, our Reason would inform us,
that such a Place lay fairly to be a delicious Country,
being placed in that Girdle of the World which affords Wine, Oil, Fruit,
Grain, and Silk, with other rich Commodities, besides a sweet Air,
moderate Climate, and fertile Soil; these are the Blessings
(under Heaven's Protection) that spin out the Thread of Life
to its utmost Extent, and crown our Days with the Sweets of Health and Plenty,
which, when join'd with Content, renders the Possessors
the happiest Race of Men upon Earth.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 32 of 106
Words from 32311 to 33360
of 110081
