CULINARY HERBS 97 



a little white hilum near their apices, retain their 

 viability three years. Leaves, stems and flowers 

 possess a highly aromatic odor and a hot, bitter flavor. 



Cultivation. — Hyssop succeeds best in rather warm, 

 limy soil. It may be readily propagated by division, 

 cuttings, and seed. In cold climates the last way is the 

 most common. Seed is sown in .early spring, either in 

 a cold frame or in the open ground, and the seedlings 

 transplanted in early summer. Even where the plants 

 survive the winters, it is advisable to renew them every 

 three or four years. When grown in too rich soil, 

 the growth will be very lush and will lack aroma. 

 Plants should stand not closer than 6 inches in the 

 rows, which should be at least i8 inches apart. They 

 do best in partial shade. 



Uses. — Hyssop has almost entirely disappeared from 

 culinary practice because it is too strong-flavored. 

 Its tender leaves and shoots are, however, occa- 

 sionally added to salads, to supply a bitter taste. 

 The colorless oil distilled from the leaves has a 

 peculiar odor and an acrid, camphorescent taste. 

 Upon contact with the air it turns yellow and 

 changes to a resin. From 400 to 500 pounds of the 

 fresh plant yield a pound of oil. The oil is used to 

 some extent in the preparation of toilet articles. 



Lavender, (Lavcndula vera, D. C. ; L. Angustifolia, 

 Moench. ; L. spica, Linn.), a half-hardy perennial un- 

 dershrub, native of dry, calcareous uplands in south- 

 ern Europe. Its name is derived from the Latin 

 word Lavo, to wash, a distillation of the flowers being 

 anciently used in perfuming water for washing the 

 body. The plant forms a compact clump 2 to 2^ feet 



