HORTICULTURE. 



581 



* ... 



hot-bed in small tuft* with ball of earth attached, it is 

 to succeed. In dry weather, liberal watering is pro- 

 per. In a sheltered situation, sweet basil, thus treated, 

 rues to about a foot in hen,ht. If sown at once in the 

 open border, the plants are late and small. The leaves 

 ai'id small leafy top* are the parts used. On account of its 

 strong flavour of clove*, basil is often in demand where 

 highly seasoned dishes are in use : a few leaves are 

 tonn^i'mM introduced into a salad, and not unfrequent- 

 ly into soups. 



420. Buih Basil, (O. minimum, L.) is little more 

 than half the MM of the ~nmn basil. It forms a 

 round orbicular bushy bead. It is raised on a hot-bed 

 in the same way as the other ; but should be planted 

 out in a richer toil, and in a warmer situation. The 

 same parts of the plant are used, and for the same 



In very favourable seasons, and in the south of Eng- 

 land, both specie* sunaliwil ripen their seed ; but in 

 general, Italian aeed may be depended on. 



Tarragon. 



421. Tarragon, (Artemisia Dractmculnt, L.; Syngt- 

 Potygmmt* mynalu; Corymbiferce, Jus*.) is aper- 

 * it, a native of Siberia, which was cultivated 

 in the time of Gerard*. It riae* a foot and 

 a half high, i* branched, and baa narrow leaves, green 

 en both side*. The leave* end tender tip* are used a* 

 /pickles, for the sake of their fragrant 

 n aromatic taate. A simple infuion of 

 tin vinegar make* a pleasant &ab-uc. In Prance, 



feet high ; the leaves are seasile, linear, dark green above, 

 preyish or whitish underneath ; the blossoms, of a pale 

 blue colour. As it i* a highly aromatic, and a medici- 

 nal plant, a few bushes should be in every garden. 

 An infusion of the leaves is grateful to many people. 

 The flowers and calyces form a principal ingredient em- 

 ployed by the makers of what is called Hungary wa- 

 ter. A rosemary *prig is the emblem of remembrance. 

 " There's rosemary ; that's for remembrance," says the 

 distracted Ophelia, in Shakespeare. In some parts of 

 the west of England, the sprigs are still distributed to 

 the company at funerals, and often thrown into the 

 grave upon the coffin of the deceased. Abercrombie, 

 in his Practical Gardener, alludes to this practice, but 

 supposes the motive to be the " preventing of conta- 

 gion." There are varieties with white-striped, and 

 with yellow-striped leave* ; the former rather tender. 

 The plant i* easily propagated by slips or cuttings in 

 the spring. 



Lavender. 



424. Lavender, or Spite Lavender, (LavondulaSpica, Lavender. 

 L.; Didynamia Gymnotpermia ; Labtatcf, Juss. ) is a na- 

 tive of the south of Europe, and has been cultivated 

 in our gardens since the middle of the Itith century. 

 The plant i* shrubby, rising from two to four feet 

 high ; the leave* linear, hoary, slightly rolled back 

 at the edge* ; the flowers forming terminating spike*. 

 There i* a narrow- leaved and a broad-leaved varie- 

 ty. Lavender is rather a medicinal plant than one 



> fa oWsdded to salad., that iu agreeable pun- 

 gency may correct the coldness of other herbs ; and it 

 is frequently put in soup*. 



In a dry loamy soil, tarragon proves quite a hardy 

 plant; but it ii apt to perish in a wet situation. It is easv- 

 ly propagated bv ,*rtW the reo*, or by pUring in e 

 spnnir yosuaf boota with only two or thrw Ebrw. Du- 



a the swmner month*, even cuttings will grow ' 

 the aboots and catting nmtt be plentifully i 



used by the cook. In e 

 plants are kept. The sp 



ery garden 

 kes of flow 



; the summer manth*. even cuttings will 

 [catting* must be pleat* 

 ed till they strike root. The plant ie therefore' 



but 



aU-r- 



from the Med. 



The stems a~i*iwg the leave* 

 dried for winter use ; and if 

 at that season, they en 

 in pot* and 



of 



m. 



Cmiem Worm***, which i* 

 aj/ehMd**a ' 





however, a few 

 , flower* being very fra- 



grant, the ladies often make imitation scent-bottle* of 

 them. Frequently they are put in paper bags, and 

 pieced among linens to perfume them. In physic 

 garden*, the plant i* extensively cultivated for the sake 

 of the flowers, from which lavender water is distilled. 

 It i* propagated by cuttings, or young slips, any time 

 hi the spring months. In Urge gardens it is sometime* 

 used as an edging, but it i* too bulky. If lavender be 

 planted in a dry, gravelly or poor soil, its flower* have 

 a powerful odour, ami the severity of our winters ha* 

 little effect on it ; while, in a rich garden soil, although 

 it grows strongly, it is apt to be lulled, and the flower* 

 have lew perfume. In common garden soil, new plan- 

 > should be made every four or five year*. 



Coriander. 

 ,- 1. 1 230, and 425. Coriander (Coriandnm taiimtm, L. ; Pentandria Cotundtr. 



It ueaaily propagated by slips or cutti 

 of Urn plant, it may be ramaifciJ. si 



jn-cl in poultry walks, it being found 



TU- 



arianmer (Coriandntm taiivnm, L.; Pentandria 

 J UmbtlUJent, Jus*.) i* a native of the East, but 



distillers of great still whiaky 



it in place of bop., and for tbeuuae .mall 



belde of it are 



NA 

 *M 



J (Rotmarima ojtcinalit, L; Dion. 

 i LabiaUt, Jus*.) i* a native of the 

 Ewepe, but if planted en a dry aoil in a sbeJ. 

 rden.k withstands o ordinary winter.. When 

 the crevice* at the bate of an old wall, 



hrubby plant, riamg imiiiliHii eg at eigh't 



VOL. XI. PART I. 



sturaliied itself in Essex, near place* where it ha* 

 long been cultivated for druggist* and confectioners, 

 and is tbetifur* figured in Enetith Botany, t. 67. It 

 rise* about a foot high, with doubly pinnated leave*. 

 It is not often raised in private garden*. Formerly the 

 young leave* were used in salads, and in soups ; but 

 they bare a strong and scarcely agreeable scent The 

 B*ds are now chiefly in request for medicinal purposes. 

 If these be wanted, the seed should be sown in autumn, 

 and the plant* afterward* thinned out to five or six inch- 

 es asunder. 



Caraway. 



4M. Caraway ( Carum carui, L. ; Pentandria Di- Carawiy . 

 gynia ; UmbeUifera) is a biennial plant, a native of 

 9* 



