ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. 



PART III. 



or rainy, the manna does not harden, but runs to the ground, and is lost. 

 This kind is called manna in tears, or manna lagrimi ; and it is as pure and 

 white as the finest sugar. About the end of July, when the liquid ceases to 

 flow of itself, incisions are made through the bark and soft wood ; and into 

 these incisions slender pieces of straw or twig are inserted, on which the 

 manna runs, and, coating them over, hardens on them. This is the common 

 manna of the shops, which is thus collected in the form of tubes; and it is called 

 manna in cannoli, or manna cannoli. Another and inferior sort is procured by 

 making an oblong incision in the trees, in July or August, and taking off a 

 piece of the bark about 3 in. in length, and 2 in. in breadth. This kind, which 

 is called manna grassa, is the coarsest; but, as it is produced with least 

 trouble, and in great abundance, it is also the cheapest. Sometimes, instead 

 of cutting out a piece of bark, and leaving the wound open, two horizontal 

 gashes are made, one a little above the other ; in the upper of which is inserted 

 the stalk of a maple leaf, the point of the leaf being fixed in the lower gash, 

 so as to form a sort of cup to receive the manna, and to preserve it from dust 

 and other impurities. The greater part of the manna of commerce is procured 

 in the latter manner ; and it is imported in chests, in long pieces, or granulated 

 fragments, of a whitish or pale yellow colour, and in some degree transparent. 

 The inferior kind is of a dark brown colour, in adhesive masses, and is moist and 

 unctuous when felt. Manna from the ash has a peculiar odour, and a sweetish 

 taste, accompanied with a slight degree of bitterness. It is considered aperient ; 

 was formerly much used in medicine ; but is now chiefly used to disguise other 

 drugs in administering them to children. This manna must not be confounded 

 with the manna of the Scripture, which, as already observed (p. 646.) is obtained 

 from the Alhdgi Maurdrum, and is known in the East, in modern times, as the 

 Persian or Syrian manna; or with the Arabian manna, which, Burckhardt tells 

 us, is obtained from the tamarisk. A similar substance is also obtained from 

 the larch in the south of France, where it is 

 known by the name of manne de Brian9on The 

 rhododendron, the walnut, and the beech, also, 

 yield an analogous substance, as, probably, do 

 various other trees; for the sap of most ligneous 

 plants is more or less sweet and mucilaginous ; 

 and, consequently, when collected in any quan- 

 tity, susceptible of becoming concrete by evapo- 

 ration. The manna of Lebanon is the gum 

 mastic ; and the manna of Poland is composed 

 of the seeds of Glyceria fluitans. The seeds 

 of O. europae x a and of O. (e) rotundifolia are 

 small, as exhibited in fig. 1065 ; they have an 



aromatic flavour, and are very generally em- *=^* ^ 1065 



ployed, in Egypt, for seasoning food. (Diet. Clus. cTHist. Nat. ; Nouveau 

 Cours (TAgric.y &c.) This and the other species of O'rnus are commonly 

 propagated by grafting on Frax- 

 inus excelsior; and as the stock 

 in this case is a much more 

 vigorous-growing plant than 

 the scion, when the graft has 

 been made a foot or more above 

 ground, the stock enlarges on 

 every side, so much more than 

 the scion, as to produce the 

 appearance of the base of a 

 column, as \r\fig. 1066. c; and, if, after the scion of O'rnus had grown to the 

 height of 20ft. or 30ft., it were headed down to 10 ft. or 12ft. and budded 

 or grafted with the common ash, the scion would enlarge on every side ; and if 

 again headed down to within a foot of the second graft, and regrafted with 

 O'rnus, the appearance of the capital of a column would be produced, as 



