THE GATHERING OF HERBS 119 



this state of things in our rock-garden. The ground 

 must be well drained, and we have grown it well in 

 light sand. It is very fragrant, and is collected in 

 large quantities for the sake of the aromatic oil that 

 it yields on distillation : it is often cultivated too 

 in gardens as a sweet herb. 1 To harvest herbs 

 properly they should be gathered on a fine dry day 

 just as they are coming well into bloom. They 

 must then be tied up in small bunches and hung 

 in the shade to dry. When thoroughly dried they 

 may either be wrapped up in paper and stowed 

 away in some air-tight canister, or rubbed to a 

 powder and then corked up in bottles duly labelled. 

 They should then keep for almost any time. 



Like most other things, the marjoram was credited 

 with considerable medicinal virtue. " Drunk in wine 

 it helpeth against all mortal poisons," dropped into 

 the ears the oil was effectual against the bitings of 

 venomous beasts, and the plant strewn on the 

 ground drove away serpents. Gerard, we see, 

 strongly commends a potion of it "unto such 

 as cannot brooke their meate." In Lovell, 

 amongst the various ailments of suffering humanity 

 we find stupidity marjoram, together with box, 



1 " It is a comodyous and a pleasaunt thynge to a mansyon 

 to have an orchard of soundry fruytes, but it is more como- 

 diouse to have a fayre gardain repleted wyth herbes of 

 aromatyck and redolent sauours." BOORDE, " Dyetery of 

 Helthe," 1542. 



