The First Sort Is
The Same Blue Or Bilberry, That Grows Plentifully In The North Of England,
And In Other Places, Commonly On Your Heaths, Commons, And Woods,
Where Brakes Or Fern Grows.
The second sort grows on a small Bush in our Savannas and Meads,
and in the Woods.
They are larger than the common Fruit,
and have larger Seed.
The third grows on the single Stem of a Stick that grows in low good Land,
and on the Banks of Rivers. They grow three or four Foot high,
and are very pleasant like the first sort, but larger.
The fourth sort grows upon Trees, some ten and twelve Foot high,
and the Thickness of a Man's Arm; these are found in the Runs and low Grounds,
and are very pleasant, and bear wonderfully. The English sometimes
dry them in the Sun, and keep them to use in the Winter,
instead of Currants. The Indians get many Bushels, and dry them on Mats,
whereof they make Plum-Bread, and many other Eatables.
They are good in Tarts, or infused in Liquors.
{Piemento.}
In the same Ground, commonly grows the Piemento, or All-Spice-Tree,
whose Berries differ in shape from those in the West-Indies,
being Taper or Conick, yet not inferiour, to any of that sort.
This Tree grows much like the Hurts, and is of the same Bigness.
I have known it transplanted to high Land, where it thrives.
{Dews. Black-Berries.}
Our Dew-Berries are very good. But the Black-Berries are bitterish,
and not so palatable, as in England.
{Sugar Tree.}
The Sugar-Tree ought to have taken place before. It is found
in no other parts of Carolina or America, that I ever learnt,
but in Places that are near the Mountains. It's most like one sort of Maple,
of any Tree, and may be rank'd amongst that kind. This Tree,
which, I am told, is of a very tedious Growth, is found very plentifully
towards the Heads of some of our Rivers. The Indians tap it,
and make Gourds to receive the Liquor, which Operation is done
at distinct and proper times, when it best yields its Juice,
of which, when the Indians have gotten enough, they carry it home,
and boil it to a just Consistence of Sugar, which grains of itself,
and serves for the same Uses, as other Sugar does.
{Papau.}
The Papau is not a large Tree. I think, I never saw one a Foot through;
but has the broadest Leaf of any Tree in the Woods, and bears an Apple
about the Bigness of a Hen's Egg, yellow, soft, and as sweet,
as any thing can well be. They make rare Puddings of this Fruit.
The Apple contains a large Stone.
{Wild Fig.}
The wild Fig grows in Virginia, up in the Mountains, as I am inform'd
by a Gentleman of my acquaintance, who is a Person of Credit,
and a great Traveller in America. I shall be glad to have an Opportunity
to make Tryal what Improvement might be made of this wild Fruit.
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