MOTHERWORT. ^91 



of weeds. The roots last many years : they are usually 

 of a pale red in the first, pure white in the latter kind. 



The Small-flowered, Tartarian, and Siberian, require no 

 more care than the other kinds, but to sow them oftener. 

 They do not blow till the second year, and blow but once. 

 Their colours are flesh-coloured, yellow, and red : blowing 

 from June to August. 



In a garden they sow their own seeds ; and, when once 

 introduced, give no further trouble. 



In Japan, the Motherwort is in great estimation. It 

 seems there was formerly, to the north of the province of 

 Nanyo-no-relkTcen.) a village situated near a hill covered with 

 Motherwort flowers. At the foot of the hill was a valley, 

 through which ran a stream of pure water, formed by the 

 dew and rains that trickled down the sides of the hill. This 

 water was the ordinary beverage of the villagers, who gene- 

 rally lived to the age of a hundred, or a hundred and thirty. 

 To die at seventy was considered as a premature death. 

 Thus the people have still an idea that the Motherwort has 

 the property of prolonging life. At the court of the Dairi, 

 the ecclesiastical sovereign of Japan, they amuse themselves 

 with drinking zakki*, prepared from these flowers. 



The Japanese have five grand festivals in the course of 

 the year. The last festival, which takes place on the 9th 

 of the ninth month, is called the Festival of Motherwort ; 

 and the month itself is named Kikousoiiki^ or Month of 

 Motherwort-flowers. It was formerly the custom to gather 

 these flowers as soon as they had opened, and to mix them 

 with boiled rice, from which they prepared the zakki used 

 in celebrating this festival, In the houses of the common 

 people, instead of this beverage, you find a branch of the 

 flowers fastened with a string to a pitcher full of common 



* Zakki is a kind of strong beer ; the common beverage in Japan. 



