86 



THE HERB-GARDEN 



of boiling water on half an ounce of the dried 

 flower-heads, and let this stand for fifteen minutes ; 

 sweeten with sugar or honey. A draught of this, 

 taken at bedtime, is a sure preventive of night- 

 mare. 



Horehound is bitter with quite a different bitter- 

 ness. In Norfolk many a cottage garden has its 

 Horehound corner, and Horehound beer is brewed 

 and drunk. Syrup of Horehound is good for 

 coughs and colds. We grow it principally because 

 we Hke the harmonious colour of the grey-green 

 stalks and leaves, and often plant it near the rosy- 

 stemmed Purslane for the sake of contrast. In 

 our illustration we have placed a branch of each of 

 these Herbs side by side. The Water-Horehound, 

 or Gipsy- Wort, is found growing on the Norfolk 

 Broads. This plant yields a dark dye, used by 

 gipsies ; hence its name. 



Tansy, perhaps the least bitter Herb of the 

 bunch, is still bitter enough to cause surprise that 

 Tansy cakes and puddings could ever have been 

 liked. Surely wry faces must have been made 

 over them ! They were eaten, more especially at 

 Easter-time, as some say, to correct the ill-effects 

 of a prolonged fish diet. 



