CI,AU\', 



493 



leaves are sometimes iiitroducfd into English 

 fliecse. 



A species of sage (salvia pomifera), of a 

 very peculiar growth, is common to some of 

 tlie Greek islands. It lias firm fleshy tumoiirs, 

 of ahout tlireo quarters of an inch in thickness, 

 swelling out from the branches of the plant, and 

 supposed to he produced in the same manner as 

 oak apples, by the puncture of an insect of the 

 cynips genus. These excrescences are semi- 

 transparent, like jelly. They are called sage 

 apples, and under that name are alwaj'S to be 

 met with in the markets, as an article of 

 ordinary sale. They are made into a kind of 

 conserve, -which is highly esteemed by the Greeks. 

 Dr Clarke, in the sixth volume of his ti-avels, 

 mentions having been regaled with this delicacy 

 by the English consul, at the island of Syros, 

 and he bears testimony to its excellence. This 

 plant is considerably larger than th§ common 

 sage of our gardens, and its flavour and smell 

 are much more powerful. It grows very abun- 

 dantly in Candia, Syros, and Crete, where it 

 attains to the size of a small shrub. 



Clary (sahia sclarea), is a biennial plant, a 

 native of tlie south of France, of Switzerland, 

 and of Italy. It was firet introduced into 

 English cultivation in the year 15G2. 



Marjoram (origanum). The common mar- 

 joram, or origanum vulgare, is a native of Britain; 

 it is a perennial under-shrub, growing among 

 copsewood in calcareous soils. The leaves are 

 small and acute. The flowers are slightly red, 

 and appear in July and August, in smooth 

 clustered spikes. 



The Winter marjoram (origanum heracleo- 

 ticumj, very much resembles the above species 

 in appearance; but it is of a more aromatic 

 flavour, and is always used in preference. It is 

 indigenous to Greece, whence it was introduced 

 into this country in 1640. A sheltered, dry 

 situation is most favourable to its growth. The 

 seeds of this, and of the two following species, 

 seldom come to maturity in England. Winter 

 marjoram is, therefore, usually propagated by 

 cuttings. 



Sweet Marjoram (origanum majoramimj, was 

 an inhabitant of the English garden about 

 seventy years prior to the first cultivation in 

 this country of the above species. It is a bien- 

 nial, having its flowers growing in close knotted- 

 like heads. As soon as it blossoms, this plant 

 is cut and dried for winter use; it must be renewed 

 by seed annually, for which purpose the seed is 

 imported from France and Italy into England. 



I'ot Marjoram (origanum onitesj, was not 

 introduced into English cultivation until the 

 middle of the last century. It is a hardy peren- 

 nial, with a hairy stem, rising to more than a 

 foot high; it blooms from July to November, 

 and is usually propagated by cuttings. 



IJasil (ocymumj, is rich in aroma, its odour 

 and pungency being very similar to those of 

 cloves. It is a favourite herb among French 

 cooks, as giving an additional zest to highly 

 seasoned dishqs. The leaves in small quantities 

 are sometimes mixed in salads, or are made a 

 flavouring ingredient in soups. 



Balm (melissa officinalis), is a native of the 

 soutlx of France, and was introduced into this 

 country in 1673. It is a hardy perennial. 



Balm was long famed for its medicinal virtues; 

 and although it has ceased to be invested with 

 its former supposed potent qualities, it still retains 

 a kind of postliumous fame, and "balm" has 

 become the generic name for a soothing healer of 

 wounds, both of the body and the mind. Balm 

 was the plant which the adept Paracelsus selected 

 from which to prepare liis elixir vitce, his primum 

 ens melissas, whereby he was to renovate man; 

 and, if he did not bestow on him absolute immor- 

 tality, to produce a very close approximation to 

 that state. Such strange conceits of ill-directed 

 minds have, however, long gone by; and balm, 

 stripped of its fancied virtues, is now only 

 employed as an infusion in preparing a cooling 

 drink, or in giving flavour to a weak factitious 

 wine. 



Rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis). This is 

 a hardy evergi'een under-shrub, a native of the 

 south of Europe, The stalk attains the height 

 of six or eight feet; the leaves are sessile, long, 

 narrow, entire, obtuse; upper surface dark greeu, 

 under a silvery gi'ay, placed in whorls upon the 

 branches : the flowers are large, of a pale blue 

 colour, and arise from the axillse of the leaves. 

 The whole plant is aromatic, and the flowers by 

 distillation yield a strong essential oil. The 

 flowers fonn a principal ingi'edient in the distil- 

 lation of Hungary water. In some parts of the 

 west of England and in Wales, sprigs of rose- 

 mary are distributed to the company at funerals 

 as tokens of remembrance, and often thrown 

 into the grave upon the coffin of the deceased. 

 Tlie varieties are the green, or common, the 

 gold-striped, and silver-striped. The green is 

 the best and most easily raised. 



The Costmary, or Alecost (balsamita vul- 

 garis), an-herl)aceous plant resembling in odour 

 the rosemary, though belonging to a different 

 family (compositw), may here be properly intro- 

 duced. 



It is a hardy perennial, a native of Italy, 

 introduced into this country in 15C8, and com- 

 mon in almost every rural garden. The name 

 implies that it is the eostos, or aromatic plant of 

 the Virgin Mary. In France it is used in salads, 

 and was formerly put into ale and negus; and 

 hence the name of alecost. In this country it 

 is now little used, except for the pleasing fra- 

 grance of the leaves in a nosegay. 



Lavender (lamndula spica). Tliis is a hardy 



