394 OLERACEOUS PLANTS. 



and cookery. The green leaves are employed in salads, and 

 for seasoning and garnishing, like Fennel. The seeds have 

 a fragrant odor, a pleasant, warm taste, and are highly car- 

 minative. Large quantities are used for distillation and in 

 flavoring liquors, and also for expressing for their essen- 

 tial oil. 



BALM. 



Melissa officinalis. 



A hardy, perennial plant, from the south of Europe. The 

 stalk is four-sided, branching, and from two to three feet 

 high ; leaves opposite, in pairs, ovate, toothed on the borders ; 

 the flowers are small, nearly white, produced in spikes, or 

 clusters, at or near the top of the plant. 



Soil, Propagation, and Culture. Any warm, mellow, 

 garden soil is suited to its growth. It is generally prop- 

 agated by dividing the roots, which may be done either in 

 spring or in autumn. After thoroughly stirring the soil, set 

 the roots in rows fifteen inches apart, and a foot apart in the 

 rows. Under good management, the plants will soon com- 

 pletely cover the surface of the ground, and the bed will not 

 need renewal for many years. 



Gathering. If required for drying, the plants should be 

 cut as they come into flower, separating the stems at the 

 surface of the ground. They should not be exposed to 

 the sun in drying, but spread in an airy, shady place, and 

 allowed to dry gradually. The leaves, in their green state, 

 may be taken directly from the plants as they are required 

 for use. 



Use. The plant has a pleasant, lemon-like odor, an 

 agreeable, aromatic taste, and, in flavoring certain dishes, is 

 used as a substitute for lemon-thyme. It is beneficial in 

 hemorrhage and other diseases of the lungs, and, in the 



