KITCHEN-GARDEN PLANTS. CHAP. 



doubtless, live very well without it $ but an orthodox 

 clergyman once told me, that he and six others once ate 

 some beef-steaks with shalots and tarragon, and that 

 they " voted unanimously, that beef-steaks never were 

 so eaten !" If you will have it in' winter, you must dry 

 it, in the manner directed for sage and other herbs. 



194. THYME. There are two distinct sorts of this 

 popular, and most fragrant herb. One is called common 

 thyme, and the other lemon thyme, both are perenniel, both 

 may be propagated from seed, but both may also be pro- 

 pagated from offsets or partings of the roots, and this is 

 the easiest way. The winter sometimes destroys thyme. 

 Some of both sorts should be preserved for winter use, 

 cut at the same stage as is directed for the sage j and, as 

 jn the case of all other herbs, cut when perfectly dry, and 

 dried in the shade, in some place where it receives no wet 

 either from rains or dews, during the drying. 



195. TOMATUM. This plant comes from countries 

 bordering on the Mediterranean. Of sorts there are the 

 red, the yellow and the white. The fruit is used for various 

 purposes, and is sold at a pretty high price. The plants 

 must be raised in a gentle hot-bed pretty early in April 

 or late in March, put into small pots when they are two 

 inches high, and turned out into the natural ground about 

 the first week in June; but even then they must be put 

 on the south side of a wall, or in some other warm and 

 sheltered situation. If close to a wall, their runners may 

 be trained up it by the means of shreds when the leaves 

 and fruit make a very beautiful appearance. If not close 

 to a wall, there must be sticks put to train the vines up, 



