492 



HISTORY OF THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



existence of an aromatic oil, wliicli they yield in 

 distillation. This oil differs in its odour accord- 

 ing to the species from which it is procured; but 

 the essential ingredient of the whole tribe is cam- 

 phor, or a matter very nearly allied to this sub- 

 stance, which, as we have seen, is found in such 

 abundance in tropical plants. 



A large proportion of the labiatae are natives 

 of Britain; some are mere weeds, and others use- 

 ful herbs ; all are perfectly harmless; and to them 

 we owe much of the fragrant odour of our fields 

 and meadows. Thus we have on our dry heaths 

 and downs the sweet-smelling thyme, the balmy 

 calamint, the rosemary, and many others, while 

 the peppermints correct the chiU and pesti- 

 lent odours arising from marshes and stagnant 

 pools. 



The mints, thyme, rosemary, sage, basil, mar- 

 joram, and several others, are employed in giv- 

 ing an odour to various meats. 



Mint (Mentlia). There are numerous species 

 of this genus, tliree of which are commonly used. 



Peppermint (m. piperita), has oboval, pointed, 

 and serrated leaves, a strong aromatic smell, and 

 pungent penetrating taste, succeeded by a sensa- 

 tion of coldness. It is chiefly used for obtaining 

 oil of peppermint by distillation, and for this 

 purpose is extensively cultivated in low, rich, and 

 marshy lands. To keep up its quality, the roots 

 are transplanted every three years. The leaves 

 must be pulled in dry weather. 



Spearmint (m. viridisj, has lanceolate leaves 

 finely serrated. The odour is less strong and 

 iieavy than that of peppermint, and the taste less 

 pungent. It is used to give flavour to food, and 

 as a stomachic. An infusion of the leaves retards 

 tire coagulation of milk. For medicinal pur- 

 poses, the leaves should be gathered in dry wea- 

 ther, just as the flowers appear. For distilla- 

 tion, the flowers are allowed to blow. 



Pennyroyal Mint (m. pulegiimi). This is a 

 trailing plant, with small, smooth, ovate leaves. 

 The odour is less pungent than that of the others, 

 the bark is pungent and aromatic. It is used 

 for the same purposes as the others. 



Thyme (thymus). Two species are found 

 natives of Britain, the thymus serpyllum and thy- 

 mus acinus; but that which is cultivated in our 

 gardens, thymus vulgaris, is a native of Spain, and 

 other parts of southern Europe. The chmate of 

 Spain seems peculiarly' genial to the growth of 

 all sweet herbs. At Marvella, about midway 

 between Malaga and Gibraltar,De Laborde speaks 

 of " sage, thyme, marjoram, lavender, myrtle, and 

 rosemary, more than six feet high, embalming the 

 air on all sides." Thyme was introduced into 

 this country certainly before the middle of the 

 sixteenth century, but how long previous to that 

 period is not ascertained. This herb is well 

 known as a low shrubby evergreen, of a strongly 

 QToniatio odour. When of the largest growth it 



scarcely attains to a foot in height. Its minute 

 leaves are smooth and oval, and the flowers are 

 smaller than those of the wild thyme. Three 

 varieties are usually cultivated, and distinguished 

 as the broad, the narrow, and the variegated 

 leaved. 



Two or three tufts of another species, the 

 lemon thyme, thymus citriodorus, sometimes find 

 a place in the herb compartment of the kitchen- 

 garden. This is a traihng evergreen, of stiU. 

 smaller growth than the common kind, and is 

 remarkable for its smeU, which resembles that 

 of the rind of lemons, whence its distinctive 

 name. Both the species thrive best in a dry 

 soil. They are propagated most generally from 

 seed; but they can lilcewise be multiplied by 

 slijjs, or by parting the roots. 



This herb is used in many savoury prepara- 

 tions. It was employed by the Romans to give 

 its peculiar aromatic flavour to cheese ; a prac- 

 tice pursued likewise with some flowers and 

 seeds of other plants. This manner of preparing 

 cheese was stiU continued during the middle 

 ages. We coUect this from an anecdote told of 

 Charlemagne, who, travelling unattended, arrived 

 at a bishop's palace. It was unfortunately a 

 fast-day, and the only fare which the bishop 

 would set before his royal guest was bread and 

 some choice cheese ; this the king did not appear 

 particularly to relish, picking out with his knife 

 small specks, which he mistook for unsound 

 parts, but which in fact were parsley seeds. The 

 prelate ventured to hint that he was throwing 

 away the best parts of the cheese ; when the 

 monarch tasted it, and liked it so much, that he 

 requested the bishop to send him an annual sup- 

 ply of this excellent flavoured curd ; and, lest 

 the clieese-merchant might by chance pack 

 cheeses without any admixture of seeds, the 

 king desired that they might always be cut in 

 two, in order to ascertain the fact, and be then 

 fastened together again with a skewer. The 

 mountaineers in the canton of Glaris in Switzer- 

 land, prepare a cheese known by the name of 

 Schabzieger, which is readily distinguished by 

 its peculiar marbled appearance and aromatic 

 flavour ; these are communicated by the pressed 

 flowers or the bruised seeds of the melilotus I'jji- 

 cinalis. 



Sage (salvia officinalis), is a native of the 

 warmer parts of Europe, but it has long been 

 cultivated in Britain. Gerarde notices it as 

 being, in 1597, a well known herb of the English 

 garden. It is a hardy plant, but, though a per- 

 ennial, does not last above three or four years 

 without degenerating. New plantations are 

 readily made by cuttings of the young shoots 

 taken in the latter end of spring. 



This aromatic herb is chiefly used with the 

 more strong and oily kinds of food, as a mixture 

 in stuffings, and an ingredient in sauces. TIic 



