

146 CULTIVATED VEGETABLES. 



and is much cultivated by the French and 

 Dutch, who are so fond of it, that they have 

 hardly a soup or salad but the leaves of 

 chervil make part of the composition ; and it 

 certainly is often found a more agreeable 

 and mild addition to seasonings, than the 

 parsley which is so universally used by the 

 English cooks. We have found a small 

 quantity of this herb an improvement to a 

 lettuce salad, as its moderately warm qua- 

 lity in some degree qualifies the coolness of 

 the latter plant. It is said to be aperient 

 and diuretic. 



The herbalists of ancient days are lavish 

 in the praise of this vegetable ; both Dio- 

 scorides and Galen thought it good for the 

 stomach, and serviceable in complaints of 

 the liver, &c. 



Chervil should be sown early in the 

 spring, and it will be found to scatter its 

 seed for the autumnal crop, without further 

 trouble than keeping it from weeds. 



The roots of this plant were formerly 

 eaten. Gerard says, " I do vse to eate them 

 with oile and vinegar, being first boiled, 

 which is very good for old people that are 

 dull and without courage: it reioiceth and 

 comforteth the heart, and increaseth their; 

 strength." 



