MOREL. 75 



soil ; and give the ground a good top-dressing every year with 

 manure, or rich earth. A bed will keep in bearing five or six 

 years. When new plantations must be made, it is cut when 

 the shoots are a few inches high. If the plants are wanted for 

 drying, they must be allowed to grow till they are in full bloom, 

 when they are to be cut, and the stalks laid out thinly to dry, 

 in a shed or airy out-building. When they are perfectly dry, 

 and have a brittle feeling, tie them up in a paper to keep till 

 wanted. When green Mint is very desirable, it can be taken 

 up and planted in boxes, and forced in a hot-bed with very little 

 trouble. In two weeks the plants will be fit to cut. Two 

 years ago, I was forcibly struck with the abuse of this very 

 healthful herb. My physician prevailed upon me to pay a visit to 

 one of the Springs, in the interior of this State, to try the ef- 

 fect of its waters upon my system, then greatly reduced by an 

 accident. To me, every table appears meagre, unless it has a 

 very liberal supply of good wholesome vegetables. On this oc- 

 casion, the table of " mine host" appeared to have very homoeo- 

 pathic dishes of my favorites. When my strength began 

 to recruit, I sallied forth to the garden to observe the cause, 

 when behold it contained almost exclusively Green Mint ! I 

 could not conceive what extensive use they made of it, till on 

 being more familiar with the establishment, I observed that it 

 was carried in armsfiil (as if for feeding cattle) to the bar- 

 room, where it was liberally saturated with brandy, ice, and 

 sugar, to foster an appetite for the sons of Bacchus. May 

 that Boniface live to learn that Cabbage, Beans, and Peas, are 

 better for health and happiness than mint-juleps ! 



MOREL. 



Phallus esculentus. — Champignon. Fr. — Essbare, Ger. 



This vegetable is a native of this country, and closely rela- 

 ted to the Mushroom, from which it is distinguished by the 



