248 



Till-: X AT URAL TIISTORV OF Till- FARM 



been the earliest of these. Gerard re])()rts Pliuy as liaviiig 

 said that "The smell of mint doth stir up the mhide and the 

 taste to a greedy desire of meat"; and f(>r himself he adds, 

 "Mint is marvellous wholesome for the stomaeke". (Herbal, 

 p. 68 1). To the modem cook or confectioner, the herbs 

 themsches are hardly kno\\Ti, tho 

 their essences are used to excess. 

 But (xir great grandmothers knew 

 theni, grew them, cut them, cured 

 them and then seasoned \\-ith them. 

 The plants were gathered about the 

 time when their first flowers were 

 opening, dried ra]ndly to presence 

 their essential oils, and ])ut away 

 for winter use. Then they were 

 used with discrimination. It was 

 experience, not chemical analysis, 

 that settled u]:)on sage and simimer 

 savory as proper seasoning for sau- 

 sage and roasts ; upon parsley and 

 th\iiie as suitable for stews and 



SOU])S. 



Our grandmothers made tea from 

 sage, mint, horehound, balm, catnip, 

 pennyroyal, etc. It was a com- 

 mon practice to steep a quarter 

 of an ounce of the dried lea\-es in a half pint of boiling 

 water, and tlien strain and sweeten to taste. Such teas 

 were at once beverages and "simple home remedies." 

 Penm-royal tea was used to promote perspiration. Hore- 

 hound was good for colds. Each herb had its virtues, and all 

 of them had the great merit of being rather harmless when so 

 prepared and admirastered. If one had a cold, a pleasant 

 cup of horehound tea (happily supplemented by good hygienic 



Fig. 95. Pennyroy 



