m^ FAMILY HERBAt. 



The Turnip. Rapum 



' t 



A PLANT too common in our gardens to re- 

 quire a curious description. The root is roucid 

 and white^ or purplish. The leaves are large^ 

 long, roughs and of a deep green ; thej are deep- 

 ly cut at the edges^ and large and round at the 

 ends: the stalks are a yard high, rounds smooth, 

 firm, upright, aud branched ; the leaves on them 

 ajre small and smooth ; the flowers are little and 

 yellow, and they stand in a kind of long spikes; 

 they are followed by long pods. 



The roots are so frequently eaten, that few 

 vould tliink of their possessing any medicinal 

 virtues, but being cut into slices, and stewed with 

 sugar; till their juice with the sugar, becomes 

 a syrup ; this is a very good medicine against 

 a cough. 



f The Turpentine Tree. TcreUntlius. 



A TALL tree in the East, where it is native; 

 wc have it in gardens/ but it never arises to any 

 great height here. The bark is brown and rough : 

 the branches are numerous and stand irregularly ; 

 the leaves are each composed of a double row 

 of smaller set on a common rib, with an odd 

 one at the end. These are oval, and of a deep 

 shining green. The flowers are small and pur- 

 ple ; they appear in form of clusters of threads 

 before the leaves ; the fruit is Ions:, but with a 

 kernel of a resinous taste. The whole shrub has 

 also a resinous smell. 



We use no part of the tree but the fine Ohio tur- 

 pentine, the most esteemed of all those balsams,, is 

 obtained from it ; in the island whence it lias 



its name. It is a pleasant aud an excellent medi- 



