

LICORICE. 555 



green, and about four feet high ; leaves pinnate, composed of 

 four or five pairs of oval leaflets ; flowers pale blue, in ter- 

 minal spikes. The fruit consists of short, flattened pods, each 

 containing two or three kidney-shaped seeds. 



Soil, Propagation, and Culture. " Licorice succeeds best 

 in deep, rich, rather sandy, or in alluvial soil. The ground 

 should be well enriched the year previous to planting ; and it 

 should either be trenched three feet deep in autumn, laid in 

 ridges, and allowed to remain in that state till spring ; or it 

 may be trenched immediately before planting. The former 

 method is the preferable one. 



" Licorice is propagated by portions of the creeping stem 

 (commonly termed 'the creeping root'), from four to six 

 inches in length, each having two or three buds. These are 

 planted in March or April, or as soon as the ground can be 

 well worked, in rows three feet apart, and eighteen inches 

 from each other in the rows ; covering with earth to the depth 

 of two or three inches. Every year, late in autumn, when 

 the sap has gone down and the leaves have turned yellow, the 

 old stems should be cut down with a pruning-knife to a level 

 with the ground. At this time, also, the creeping stems are 

 forked up, cut off close to the main stems, and preserved 

 in sand, or in heaps covered with straw and earth, for future 

 plantations. The roots will be ready for taking up three 

 years after planting. This should be done towards winter, 

 after the descent of the sap. A trench three feet deep must 

 then be thrown out, and the roots extracted ; after which they 

 may be stored in sand for use." Thomp. 



Use. The roots are the parts of the plant used, and these 

 are extensively employed by porter brewers. " The sweet, 

 mucilaginous juice extracted from the roots by boiling is 

 much esteemed as an emollient in colds." 



