the SOAP-BERRY TREE; a genus of the digynia order, belonging to the octandra class of plants. The species are, 1. The saponaria with winged leaves, grows naturally in the islands of the West Indies, where it rises with a woody stalk from 20 to 30 feet high, fending out many branches garnished with winged leaves composed of several pair of spear-shaped lobes. The midrib has a membranaceous or leafy border, running on each side from one pair of lobes to the other, which is broadest in the middle between the lobes; the flowers are produced in loose spikes, at the end of the branches; they are small and white, so make no great appearance. These are succeeded by oval berries as large as middling cherries, sometimes single, at others, two, three, or four are joined together; these have a saponaceous skin or cover, which incloses a very smooth roundish nut of the same form, of a shining black when ripe. The skin or pulp which surrounds the nuts, is used in America to wash linen; but it is very apt to burn and destroy it if often used, being of a very acrid nature. 2. The rigidus, with rigid acute-winged leaves, grows in India. This has a strong woody stalk, which rises about 20 feet high, fending out many strong ligneous branches, covered with a smooth grey bark, and garnished with winged leaves, composed of many spear-shaped lobes; they are of a pale green, and fit close to the midrib, which has no border or wing like the other. The end of the branches are divided into two or three foot-stalks, each containing a loose spike of flowers like those of the other sort; these are succeeded by roundish berries like those of the former.

These plants are propagated by seeds; they must be put into small pots, and plunged into a hot-bed of tanner's bark. In five or six weeks the plants will appear, when the glasses of the hot-bed should be raised every day in warm weather, to admit fresh air to the plants. In three weeks or a month after the plants appear, they will be fit to transplant, when they must be shaken out of the pots, and carefully parted, so as not to injure their roots, and each planted into a separate small pot, and plunged into the hot-bed again, observing to shade them from the sun until they have taken new root; after which time they must have free air admitted to them every day when the weather is warm, and will require to be frequently watered.