CULINARY HERBS I3I 



leaves or other material during winter. After the 

 removal of the mulch in the spring no special care is 

 needed in cultivation. The young, tender, aromatic 

 and saline leaves and shoots are pickled in vinegar, 

 either alone or with other vegetables. 



Savory, Summer (Satureia hortensis, Linn.), a lit- 

 tle annual plant of the natural order Labiatae indig- 

 enous to Mediterranean countries and known as an 

 escape from gardens in various parts of the world. 

 In America, it is occasionally found wild on dry, 

 poor soils in Ohio, Illinois, and some of the western 

 states. The generic name is derived from an old 

 Arabic name, Ssattar, by which the whole mint family 

 was known. Among the Romans both summer and 

 winter savory were popular 2,000 years ago, not 

 only for flavoring, but as potherbs. During the 

 middle ages and until the i8th century it'still main- 

 tained this popularity. Up to about 100 years ago 

 it was used in cakes, puddings and confections, but 

 these uses have declined. 



Description. — The plant, which rarely exceeds 12 

 inches in height, has erect, branching, herbaceous 

 stems, with oblong-linear leaves, tapering at their 

 bases, and small pink or white flowers clustered in 

 the axils of the upper leaves, forming penciled 

 spikes. The small, brown, ovoid seeds retain their 

 viability about three years. An ounce contains 

 about 42,500 of them, and a quart 18 ounces. 



Cultivation. — For earliest use the seed may be sown 

 in a spent hotbed or a cold frame in late March, and 

 the plants set in the open during May. Usually, 

 however, it is sown in the garden or the field where 



