127 



leave the Cresses for a moment, we have in the Chive ( AUium Schinoprasvm )^ 

 an old-fashioned species of true Garlic, which is good in salad, but, lilie all its 

 congeners, needs to be used with something of the artist's hand. Leeks, Onions, 

 and Garlic figure largely in old English cookery, often in company with Saffron, 

 and the Spaniards now eat garlic and saffron with almost every dish. The 

 Shepherd's Purse (CapscUa bursa-pastorisj when grown in its wild state, in rich 

 soil, and particularly if cultivated, produces enlarged leaves, which have been 

 much employed. The first leaves of Sinajns alba, or white Mustard, is mucli 

 esteemed in company with the garden cress. Barharca prcecox is also a good 

 early spring salad, if sown for the purpose. 



The Rosace* offer the Salad Bumet (Poterium Sanguism-ha), which has 

 an agi-eeable flavour of Cucumber. The Avens also (Geum, urlanum) is con- 

 stantly found in old receipts, its leaves and roots are astiingent, and in the 

 north of Europe they are put into beer to give it the flavour of the Hop. 



The UnibeUifcrous plants generally possess semi-poisonous properties, and 

 are therefore to be eaten with caution. Celei-y or SmaUage (Apium gravcohns) 

 is sufficiently popular as a salad when blanched and enlarged by cultivation ; it 

 deserves, however, to be more generally used in cookery. The AUsander, wliich 

 grows wild in many places, was once much used, and though not quite so good 

 as Celery has a peculiar flavour, and ought not to be lost to the garden. Chervil 

 ( Anthriscus cerefoliumj, hardly to be rckoned amongst native plants, is excellent 

 in salad, and but little employed. 



The young shoots of the "Wild Briony (Tamus Communis) are said to 

 be eaten by the Moors. 



The Composite plants, amongst which we reckon the Lettuce, furnish 

 also some other useful salad herbs. They have generally a mUky juice and a 

 bitter flavour, and possess useful properties. The Dandelion is commonly found 

 in French salads both in winter and summer, being cultivated and blanched 

 for the purpose. The young leaves of the wild plant when quickly grown are 

 also used, and are of an agreeably bitter taste, which should be better known. 

 From France also we learn to utilise the roots of the "Wild Chicory (C'hicorium 

 Intyhus), which plant having been sown in the gardens in the previous spring 

 is cut down in November, the roots being planted in boxes in a dark place. 

 The blanched shoots are cut when five or six inches high, and make the excellent 

 salad known as " Barbe des Capucins." The tender leaves of the Goat's- 

 beard ( Tragopogon pratense) are likewise eaten. The Rampion (Campanula 

 Mapunculus) produces a root of an agreeable flavour when eaten raw — the leaves 

 and slices of the root are put into winter salads, but its use is almost obsolete 

 in England, 



The French consider the leaves of Sedum Tclephium equal to Purslane : 

 in Holland S. Beflexam and S. Rupestre are also eaten. The Buck's-hom Plan- 

 tain (Plantago Coronopus) is sown in France as a salad, The Corn Salad (Fcdia 

 OlitoriaJ, although small in a wild state, is one of the best salad herbs, and much 



