CHAPTER X 

 GARDEN HERBS 



Under the head of garden herbs are grouped a .number 

 of sweet culinary and medicinal plants that are cultivated 

 to some extent in gardens. They are generally easily 

 grown in mellow, open soil. Those having foliage that is 

 esteemed for its aroma should generally be cut on a dry 

 day, just as they reach full flowering stage, and should be 

 dried quickly in the shade. As a rule, herbs should be 

 cut before being frozen, though freezing does not always 

 injure them. When dry they should be kept in dry, air- 

 tight boxes or vessels. The demand is very limited for 

 most of them. Only a few of the most common kinds are 

 mentioned here. In the extreme Northern states, many of 

 the perennial kinds will kill out in severe winters unless 

 protected. 



THE MINT FAMILY (Order Labiatae) 



The Mint Family includes little other than herbs (with 

 few exceptions) which have aromatic herbage, square 

 stems, opposite, simple leaves, 2-lipped corolla, and a 

 deeply 4-parted ovary, which separates into the same 

 number of seeds. Besides balm, catnip, lavender, pepper- 

 mint, sage, sweet basil, sweet marjoram, spearmint, summer 

 savory, thyme, and winter savory, whose cultural direc- 

 tions are here given, this order includes garden coleus, 

 hyssop, flowering sage or salvia, and horse mint. The 

 plants of this group are mostly grown for their aromatic 

 herbage. 



