SORREL. 295 



which about an ounce of seed will be sufficient ; or in 

 shallow drills, ten inches apart ; the ground being 

 previously well dug to a good depth. The plants 

 generally appear in five or six weeks ; and when they 

 can be sufficiently distinguished by their leaves, the 

 ground should be hoed over with a two-inch hoe, and 

 the plants properly thinned out to about the distance 

 of eight inches. Nothing more will be requisite, ex- 

 cept repeating the hoeing as often as necessary, in 

 dry weather, to keep down the weeds. About 

 Michaelmas the leaves begin to decay ; the roots 

 are then fit for use, and will continue so till the 

 spring. The longer they remain in the ground 

 during open weather the better; but on the approach 

 of frost they should be taken up, cleaned, and laid 

 in sand, like other roots. 



59. SORREL. RUMEX. 



Rumex is the botanic name of the dock, of which 

 the sorrel is supposed to be a species. It is named 

 by the Latins, from rumex, a sort of pike, spear, 

 or halbert, which the leaves in various species much 

 resemble in shape. The generic name by which 

 this variety is distinguished is derived from acetosus, 

 sour. 



Sorrel is found wild in grassy pastures through- 

 out Europe, from the Alps of Lapland to Greece. 

 It is noV scarcely known as a pot-herb in this coun- 

 try, except at fashionable tables ; and the small de- 

 mand having now nearly banished it from the 

 metropolitan markets, it fetches the price of dainty 

 forced plants. This is owing principally to the 

 u 4? 



