248 THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE FARM 
been the earliest of these. Gerard reports Pliny as having 
said that “‘The smell of mint doth stir up the minde and the 
taste to a greedy desire of meat”; and for himself he adds, 
“Mint is marvellous wholesome for the stomacke”. (Herbal, 
p. 681). To the modern cook or confectioner, the herbs 
themselves are hardly known, tho 
their essences are used to excess. 
But our great grandmothers knew 
them, grew them, cut them, cured 
them and then seasoned with them. 
The plants were gathered about the 
time when their first flowers were 
opening, dried rapidly to preserve 
their essential oils, and put away 
for winter use. Then they were 
used with discrimination. It was 
experience, not chemical analysis, 
that settled upon sage and summer 
} savory as proper seasoning for sau- 
sage and roasts; upon parsley and 
thyme as suitable for stews and 
soups. 
Our grandmothers made tea from 
mo ope 23 sage, mint, horehound, balm, catnip, 
Fic. 95. Pennyroyal. pennyroyal, etc. It was a com- 
mon practice to steep a quarter 
of an ounce of the dried leaves in a half pint of boiling 
water, and then strain and sweeten to taste. Such teas 
were at once beverages and “‘simple home remedies.” 
Pennyroyal tea was used to promote perspiration. Hore- 
hound was good for colds. Each herb had its virtues, and all 
of them had the great merit of being rather harmless when so 
prepared and administered. If one had a cold, a pleasant 
cup of horehound tea (happily supplemented by good hygienic 
