THE GENTLE ART OF SIMPLING 



SHEBA CHILDS HARGREAVES 



"Good huswives provide, ere an sickness do come, 

 Of sundrie good things in house to have some, 



******* 



Good herbes in the garden for agues that burn." 



Thomas Tusser 



f .■ y . ^ H E gathering and compounding of herbs for medicinal 

 ~t4 and culinary purposes is well nigh a lost art with 

 ,'Z-J 3l modern peoples, though of late years there has been a 

 e^lptp? revival of interest, particularly in the herbs used 

 in cookery. 



It is to the judicious use of fine herbs that the French cookery 

 owes its excellence. The French chef uses perhaps twenty 

 herbs, where the American has a speaking acquaintance with 

 two — parsley and sage — and this last, when used, is so liberally 

 applied as completely to dominate the dish which it should 

 merely have flavored. 



Occasionally, herb salads are encountered among the foreign 

 population of our cities, the people bringing with them seeds of 

 their native herbs and from such herbs may be secured some 

 which are to be found in no other way. 



OUR pioneer grandmothers were skilled in the use of medi- 

 cinal herbs, and in every well regulated attic great bunches 

 of them were stored head down. The simple but powerful 

 infusions of boneset, horehound, hops, sage, and catnip were used 

 for the minor ailments of grown-ups as well as children, and were 

 relied upon in an age when doctors were not so numerous as they 

 are to-day. The rise of patent medicines has largely obliter- 

 ated the old-fashioned simples, but medicinal herbs are, never- 

 theless, well worth consideration as part of the household 

 equipment. If they were effectual a generation ago they are 

 to-day. 



It might be well, instead of smiling at Grandmother when she 

 speaks of these old-fashioned simples regarded so potent in 

 her young days, to learn from her as much of the art of simpling 

 as she can remember and to grow some herbs in the home garden. 



There are reliable books on herbs which are worth study, some 

 of them are most breathlessly interesting, going back as they 

 do to ancient times when herbs were used in compounding love 

 potions as well as in dealing with various and terrible forms of 

 witchcraft. From them one may gain, in minute detail, knowl- 

 edge of the various superstitions which the race has outgrown 

 as well as much information still helpful at the present day. 

 Aside from its utilitarian value, the study of herbs throws inter- 

 esting side-lights on the history of the nations where they are 

 grown; while the collecting of ancient herbs is a delightful hobby 

 for the person who loves growing things for their own sakes 

 as well as for their association with the past. 



HERBS fall loosely into three classes: for flavoring, for use 

 as potherbs, and for medicinal and toilet purposes. The 

 line of demarcation could not be very closely drawn, for many 

 flavoring herbs have distinct medicinal properties. As to 

 habits of growth they are again divided into perennials, bien- 

 nials and annuals. 



The pot and flavoring herbs would, of course, belong to the 

 kitchen garden proper, but many of them are so sweet as to be 

 accorded a place among the flowers. A little plot may be set 

 apart for the growing of herbs exclusively, though the fragrant, 

 woody perennials are excellent for massing and as a back- 

 ground for certain flowers. Tennyson was particularly fond 

 of Madonna Lilies set with gray-green Lavender. Rosemary 

 and these same Lilies would delight the soul of the poet or artist. 



The modern flower garden is rather lacking in fragrance, for 

 with the marvelous improvement of many of our flowers, size 



and color have been gained at the expense of perfume. The 

 herbs furnish evanescent whiffs of pungency, which delight the 

 senses of the lover of growing things; as when, in wandering 

 about among the flowers, the clothing brushes against Southern- 

 wood evoking a refreshing, spicy odor. And a leaf of Rosemary 

 or a sprig of Lavender bloom, absent-mindedly crushed in the 

 hand, adds wonderfully to the charm of a stroll through the 

 garden. Aromatic plants have another point in their favor; they 

 do not give off their odor unless invited to do so by bruising or 

 crushing the leaves. 



Lavender cannot be too abundantly grown. It may be used 

 to fill in dry, stony places where it is difficult to make other 

 plants flourish. The flower stalks, gathered just before the 

 flowers open fully so that there is no scattering, are delightful 

 for scenting linen. If enclosed in muslin bags, bunches may be 

 laid among woolen clothing to keep away moth as well as to 

 impart their fragrance. In England, it is grown in what is 

 known as drying yards, the hoary bushes being used for spread- 

 ing out the wet household linen, hence the lavender-scented 

 sheets so often mentioned in English novels. 



Lavender belongs in the perennial class of woody herbs, along 

 with Sage, Southernwood, and Rosemary, all easily propagated 

 by cuttings taken from the old wood, or by root division. While 

 a good start may be made from seed, the method is, of course, 

 much slower. All aromatic herbs require strong sunlight to 

 bring out the scent, and should not be planted near buildings nor 

 in spots where there is no direct sunlight and free circulation of 

 air. A rather poor, dry soil is best so that the tendency is to 

 small leaves and flowers, which contain more of the aromatic 

 oil than rank, succulent growths. 



iVlany of the tender herbs are either annuals or biennials, 

 but if given the right environment they will seed themselves 

 and thus become practically perennial in their nature, though 

 a few of the more tender ones will have to be started each year 

 indoors and set out in the late spring when the earth is warm. 

 Sweet Basil and Marjoram — spicy annuals — are well worth the 

 extra trouble to grow. Summer Savory is also tender, but the 

 Winter Savory is perennial, though the flavor is inferior. 



Another class of aromatic herbs are grown for their seeds — - 

 of these the most common are Dill, Anise, Caraway, and Cori- 

 ander. As they bloom about the same time, Coriander and 

 Dill combine well when planted together. Anise was greatly 

 beloved by children of a generation ago and clumps of it may 

 be found still around old farm houses. Sweet Fennel makes 

 an excellent garnish or accompaniment for fish; it is sometimes 

 boiled and eaten as a vegetable by Europeans. Another succu- 

 lent perennial that is very rare — it is not listed in seed catalogues 

 but grows freely around old houses — is Alecost, or Costmary. 

 It has a broad, grayish green leaf with serrated edges; it is often 

 falsely called Rosemary; it has the taste and odor of Mint and 

 was much used by our forefathers as a strewing herb, both in 

 their homes and in places of worship. Together with Southern- 

 wood, Lavender, Rosemary, and Thyme, it was scattered over 

 the bare floors — this was long before the days of carpets and gave 

 off its spicy odor when bruised by being walked upon. 



THE various Mints belong in a class by themselves; unlike 

 other aromatic herbs, they thrive best by the side of small 

 streams though they will grow well in rich garden soil, if bounti- 

 fully supplied with water. Of the ten or more kinds, only 



14? 



