58 CULTIVATED VEGETABLES. 



selected black marble to represent the god of 

 sleep and of dreams, from the relation which 

 the colour bears to night. He was generally 

 depicted with a bunch of poppies in his hand. 



The field-poppy was named by the Greeks 

 Rlueas, or Corn-rose, from its growing among 

 grain; and on this account it was considered 

 sacred to Ceres, whose garland was formed of 

 ears of corn and the red poppy. It was 

 offered to her in her sacred rites, and she 

 was sometimes represented, also, as holding 

 poppies in her hand ; and so acceptable was 

 this plant believed to be to that goddess, 

 that she was named Mecone, from Mtfxow, the 

 name of this plant. 



The ancients had not proceeded in the art 

 of botany so far as to learn what has since 

 been styled the loves of the plants, but they 

 believed that certain herbs grew best when 

 planted together, and on this account, they 

 sowed poppy seed with cabbage, rockets, 

 and lettuce, &c. for the good fellowship they 

 were thought to have for each other.* Virgil 

 says, in the first book of the Georgics, 



" Poppy and linseed, when the glebe is dry, 

 Be sure to sow, and watch an iron sky," 



# Pliny, book xix. chap. 8. 



