SALADS AND HERBS 137 



scent are both attractive, although the former are small. Grown 

 as edgings, from seed, and kept well clipped, the plants will 

 last for years. The leaves, shoots, and flowers possess excellent 

 seasoning properties when dried, and, with Thyme, forms the 

 basis of dried mixed herbs of commerce. The so-called annual 

 Marjoram is really perennial, but is usually propagated by 

 yearly sowings in March or April. It is a fast-growing plant, 

 and the leaves and shoots are ready for use as early as May. 

 A pretty, bushy, fragrant plant, of identical utility as the 

 perennial Marjoram. 



MINT. Mint is a herb so well known and so universally used 

 that description is entirely unnecessary. Its culture consists 

 in forming a bed of good loose soil into which its running root- 

 stems may travel at will ; and it is the best plan to give Mint 

 a site all to itself, for its encroaching proclivities are great and 

 persistent; and the bed, also, should be preferably isolated. 

 If the shoots are unused by the time autumn arrives, they must 

 be cut off close to the ground and, incidentally, dried and 

 preserved for future use and a layer of rich soil or compost 

 spread over the roots. For supplies of Mint during the winter 

 months, it is usual to rely on leaves gathered during the autumn 

 and dried by suspension in a warm room ; but dried Mint is 

 but a poor substitute for freshly-picked sprays, and these may be 

 obtained in the coldest weather with but little trouble. To 

 force Mint, simply select a few strong roots several inches long, 

 laying these about an inch apart in shallow boxes rilled with 

 finely sifted garden soil. The roots are then covered with an 

 inch of fine soil, a good watering given, and the boxes placed 

 beneath the greenhouse stage. Keep the soil constantly moist, 

 and directly the little green shoots appear place the box in a 

 light, warm position, such as a shelf near the glass in a green- 

 house or a window in a warm room. In the event of the supply 

 being greater than the demand, the boxes need not remain in 

 the greenhouse, but will be quite safe in a cold frame or light 

 shed where frost is not likely to enter. On the other hand, if 

 the shoots are cut, tied in small bunches, and placed in recep- 

 tacles containing sufficient water just to reach the tips of the 

 stems, they will keep fresh, and even continue to grow. 



RUE (Ruta graveolens). I fail to see the use of this herb from 

 a kitchen-garden point of view, although it is generally regarded 

 as a seasoning agent ; but this attribute belongs to old-time 



