MINT. 253 



All the Mints are easily increased by parting the roots 

 in the spring, or by planting cuttings in any of the sum- 

 mer months ; keeping the earth very moist until they have 

 taken root. 



Mint to be used as tea, should be cut when just begin- 

 ning to flower, and dried in the shade. 



It is said that Corn-mint — in French, Ic pouliot thym 

 [thyme pennyroyal] — prevents the coagulation of milk ; 

 and " when cows have eaten it," says Withering, " as they 

 will do largely at the end of summer, when pastures are 

 bare, their milk can hardly be made to yield cheese ; a 

 circumstance which puzzles the dairy-maids." 



MONK^S-HOOD. 



ACONITUM. 



RANUNCULACEiE. POLYANDRIA TRIGYXIA. 



Called also Wolf's-bane; Aconite. — French, I'aconit : in some places, 

 toutchoz. — Italian, aconite. 



The Monk's-hoods are hardy perennials, very hand- 

 some ; their flowers growing in spikes or rods, which, in 

 some of the species, are nearly two feet long. They may 

 be increased by parting the roots, every piece of which 

 will grow. This should be done soon after they have 

 done flowering; and the stalks should be cut down at 

 the same time. They like shade, and moisture. Most 

 of them have blue flowers, but there are also white and 

 yellow. 



The ancients, who were not acquainted with chemical 



poisons, regarded the Aconite as the most violent of all ; 



and fabled it to be the invention of Hecate, and sprung 



from the foam of Cerberus : 



" And now arrives unknown ^geus' seed. 



Who, great in name, had two-sea'd Isthmos freed ; 



