6 FAMILIAR GARDEN FLOWERS. 
follows. As the most excellent apricot jam may be made 
from carrots, and the Jerusalem artichoke, which is like a 
potato, is by many regarded as in no way differing from 
the globe artichoke, which is a fleshy flower of a kind 
of thistle, we must not be in haste to blame people who 
scrape the roots of monkshood and supply the scrapings to 
be eaten with beef as horse-radish ; but we must indulge 
the hope that knowledge will prevail, and speedily render 
such a dangerous substitution impossible. 
It is somewhat singular that the older botanists are 
apparently in a fog with this common and characteristic 
plant. Mr. John Gerarde lumps it in with a lot of lark- 
spurs, that are certainly related, but more or less far re- 
moved. His “munkeshood” is a delphinium possessed of 
several virtues, such as being good against the stings 
of scorpions, and “so forcible that the herb only thrown 
before the scorpion, or any other venomous beast, causeth 
them to be without force or strength to hurt, insomuch 
that they cannot mooue or stirre vntill the herbe be taken 
away.” (Edition 1597, page 924.) To Master Gerarde’s 
honour we are bound to quote further that in his opinion 
we should hold in contempt this “with many other such 
triflmg toies not woorth the reading.” 
John Parkinson figures this plant fairly well, and 
describes it with the most delightful minuteness at page 
215 of his “ Paradisus.” He adds that the “fair blew 
colour ” of the flowers “ 
eauseth it to be nourished upon 
gardens, that their flowers, as was usual in former times, 
may be Jaid up among green herbes in windowes and 
