S I u 



S L I 



Digyniq, and ranks in the natural order of Utn- 

 beftatce or Umbelliferee. 



The characters are : that the calyx is an uni- 

 versal umbel, various in different species: par- 

 tial spreading, flat: involucre universal many- 

 leaved, reflex, shorter than the umbel, with lan- 

 ceolate leaflets : partial many-leaved, linear, 

 small : perianth proper scarcely observable : the 

 corolla universal uniform: floscules all fertile: 

 proper of five index-cordate, equal petals : the 

 stamina have five simple filaments: anthers 

 pimple: the pistillum is a very small germ, in- 

 ferior : styles two, reflex : stigmas obtuse : there 

 is no pericarpium: fruit subovate, striated, small, 

 bipartite: the seeds two, subovate, convex and 

 striated on one side, flat on the other. 



The species cultivated is S. si.iamm, Skirret. 



Tt has the root composed of several fleshy 

 tubers as large as a man's little finger, and join- 

 ino- together in one head : the lower leaves are 

 pinnate, having two or three pairs of oblong 

 leaflets terminated by an odd one : the stalk 

 rises a foot high, and is terminated by an umbel 

 of white flowers, which appear in July, and are 

 succeeded by striated seeds hke those of Paisley, 

 ripening in autumn. It is a native of China, See. 



It was formerly much cultivated for the roots, 

 which were eaten boiled, and stewed with but- 

 ter, pepper, and salt ; or rolled in flower and 

 fried ; or else cold with oil and vinegar, being 

 first boiled. 



Culture. — Tt may be raised either by seeds or 

 slips from the roots, but the first is the best 

 method, as in the latter mode the roots- are apt 

 to become stickv : the seeds should be sown 

 about the beginning of April, either in broad- 

 cast over the surface, or in drills, the ground 

 being previously well dug to a good depth ; light 

 and rather moist land being chosen for the pur- 

 pose. The plains mostly appear in five or six 

 weeks, and when they can be sufficiently di- 

 stinguished by their leaves, the ground should be 

 welf hoed over, in the same manner as for car- 

 rots, the plants being properly thinned out to 

 the distance of five or six inches. The hoeing 

 should be repeated as often as necessary, in dry 

 weather. 



In the autumn when the leaves begin to de- 

 cay the roots will be fit for use, and will con- 

 tinue so till the spring. 



In the offset method, the old plants should be 

 dug up in the spring before they begin to shoot, 

 the side shoots being then slipped off" with an eye 

 or bud to each, planting them in rows a foot apart, 

 and four or five inches distant in the rows; they 

 should afterwards be cultivated as the others. 



These roots are prepared by boiling, and eaten 



in the same manner as above, or as c.irrots and 

 parsnips. They are wholesome, but not in such 

 request as formerly. 



SLIPS, such portions of plants as are slipped 

 off from the stems or branches for the purpose 

 of being planted out. 



A number of plants, both of the woody and 

 herbaceous kinds, are propagated by slips, which 

 is effected in the woody kinds by slipping off 

 small young shoots from the sides of the branches, 

 &c. with the thumb and finger, instead of cut- 

 ting them off with a knife, but there is no ma- 

 terial difference, in the success or future growth, 

 between slips and cuttings, only the former in 

 small young shoots is more proper to be slipped 

 off by the hand, which in numerous small, 

 shrubby plants will grow ; but is more com- 

 monly practised on the lower ligneous plants, 

 such as sage, winter-savory, hyssop, thyme, 

 southernwood, rosemary, rue, lavender, and 

 others of low shrubby growths. The best sea- 

 son of the year for effecting t lie work is gene- 

 rally in spring and beginning of summer, though 

 many sorts will grow if planted at almost any 

 time, from the spring to the latter end of the 

 summer, as shown in speaking of their culture. 



In performing the work of slipping in these 

 sorts, the young shoots of but one year's growth, 

 and in many sorts the shoots of the year should 

 be chosen as growing the most readily, even 

 when to plant the same summer they are pro- 

 duced, especially the hard-wooded kinds : but 

 in the more soft-wooded plants, the slips of one 

 year's growth will also often readily grow ; be- 

 ing careful always to choose the moderately grow- 

 ing side-shoots situated on the outward part of 

 the plants, from three to six or eight inches 

 long, slipping them off" close to the branches, 

 and clearing off the lower leaves ; then planting 

 them either in a shady border, if in summer, 

 and watered, or so as they can be occasionally 

 shaded in hot sunny weather, especially small 

 slips, inserting the whole two parts of three in 

 the ground, giving occasional water, in dry 

 warm weather, till properly rooted; and then 

 towards autumn, or in spring following, trans- 

 planting them where they are to remain. 



But in planting slips of the shoots of tender 

 shrubby exotics of the green-house and stove, 

 many sorts require the aid of a hot'-bed or bark- 

 bed, to promote their emitting roots more ef- 

 fectually, as shown in their respective culture ; 

 but some others of the shrubby kinds, such as 

 geraniums, will root freely in the natural earth 

 in summer ; and many of the herbaceous tribe, 

 producing bottom-rooted offsets for slips, as 

 aloes, &c. also readily grow, either with or 



