1242 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III. 
or rainy, the manna does not harden, but runs to the ground, and is lost. 
This kind is called manna in tears, or manna lagrimi; and it is as pure and 
white as the finest sugar. About the end of July, when the liquid ceases to 
flow of itself, incisions are made through the bark and soft wood; and into 
these incisions slender pieces of straw or twig are inserted, on which the 
manna runs, and, coating them over, hardens on them. This is the common 
manna of the shops, which is thus collected in the form of tubes; and it is called 
manna in cannoli, or manna cannoli, Another and inferior sort is procured by 
making an oblong incision in the trees, in July or August, and taking off a 
piece of the bark about 3in.in length, and 2in.in breadth. This kind, which 
is called manna grassa, is the coarsest; but, as it is produced with least 
trouble, and in great abundance, it is also the cheapest. Sometimes, instead 
of cutting out a piece of bark, and leaving the wound open, two horizontal 
gashes are made, onea little above the other ; in the upper of which is inserted 
the stalk of a maple leaf, the point of the leaf being fixed in the lower gash, 
so as to form a sort of cup to receive the manna, and to preserve it from dust 
and other impurities. The greater part of the manna of commerce is procured 
in the latter manner ; and it is imported in chests, in long pieces, or granulated 
fragments, of a whitish or pale yellow colour, and in some degree transparent. 
The inferior kind is of a dark brown colour, in adhesive masses, and is moist and 
unctuous when felt. Manna from the ash has a peculiar odour, and a sweetish 
taste, accompanied with a slight degree of bitterness. It is considered aperient ; 
was formerly much used in medicine; but is now chiefly used to disguise other 
drugs in administering them to children. This manna must not be confounded 
with the manna of the Scripture, which, as already observed (p.646.) is obtained 
from the A/hdgi Mauroérum, and is known in the East, in modern times, as the 
Persian or Syrian manna; or with the Arabian manna, which, Burckhardt tells 
us, is obtained from the tamarisk. A similar substance is also obtained from 
the larch in the south of France, where it is if 
known by the name of manne de Briangon The | 
rhododendron, the walnut, and the beech, also, 
yield an analogous substance, as, probably, do 
various other trees; for the sap of most ligneous 
plants is more or less sweet and mucilaginous ; 
and, consequently, when collected in any quan- 
tity, susceptible of becoming concrete by evapo- 
ration. The manna of Lebanon is the gum 
mastic ; and the manna of Poland is composed 
ofthe seeds of Glycéria fltiitans. The seeds 
of O. europe‘a and of O. (e) rotundifolia are 
small, as exhibited in fig. 1065; they have an < 
aromatic flavour, and are very generally em- 
ployed, in Egypt, for seasoning food. (Dict. Clus. d’ Hist. Nat.; Nouveau 
Cours d’Agric., &c.) This and the other species of O’rnus are commonly 
propagated by grafting on Frax- 1066 
inus excélsior; andas the stock 
in this case is a much more 
vigorous-growing plant than 
the scion, when the graft has 
been made a foot or more above 
ground, the stock enlarges on 
every side, so much more than 
the scion, as to produce the 
appearance of the base of a = a 
column, as in fig. 1066. c; and, if, after the scion of O’rnus had grown to the 
height of 20 ft. or 30 ft., it were headed down tol0 ft. or 12 ft. and budded 
or grafted with the common ash, the scion would enlarge on every side; and if 
again headed down to within a foot of the second graft, and regrafted with 
O’rnus, the appearance of the capital of a column would be produced, as 


