SPEARMINT. THYME. 227 



SPEARMINT. 



Green Mint. Meniha viridis. 



A hardy, perennial plant, generally cultivated in gardens, 

 but growing naturally in considerable abundance about 

 springs of water, and in rich, wet localities. The stem is 

 erect, four-sided, smooth, and two feet or more in height ; 

 the leaves are opposite, in pairs, stemless, toothed on the 

 margin, and sharply pointed ; the flowers are purple, and 

 are produced in August, in long, slender, terminal spikes ; 

 the seeds are small, oblong, of a brown color, and retain 

 their vitality five years. 



Soil, Propagation, and Culture. It may be grown from 

 seed, but is best propagated by a division of the roots, which 

 are long and creeping, and readily establish themselves 

 wherever they are planted. Spearmint thrives best in rich, 

 moist soil, but may be grown in any good garden loam. 

 The roots may be set either in the autumn or spring. 



Use. Mint is sometimes mixed in salads, and is used 

 for flavoring soups of all descriptions. It is often boiled 

 with green pease, and, with the addition of sugar and vine- 

 gar, forms a much-esteemed relish for roasted lamb. It has 

 also much reputed efficacy as a medicinal plant. 



A variety with curled foliage. It is a good Curled-leaved 

 sort for garnishing, but, for general use, is Spearmint, 

 inferior to the Common or Plain-leaved 

 species before described. Propagated by dividing the 

 roots. 



THYME. 



Thymus. 



Two species of Thyme are cultivated for culinary pur- 

 poses, the Common Garden Thyme (T. vulgaris) and the 

 Lemon or Evergreen Thyme ( T. citriodorus) . 



They are hardy, perennial plants, of a shrubby character, 



