IV.J THE AMERICAN GARDENER. 



143 



226. HYSSOP is a sort of shrub, ihe flower- 

 spikes of which are used, fresh or dried, for medi- 

 cinal purposes. It is propagated from seed, or from 

 offsets. A very little of it is enough for any garden. 



227. JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE.— This plant 

 bears at the root, like a potatoe, which, to the great 

 degradation of many of the human race, is every 

 where well known. But, this Artichoke, which is 

 also dug up and cooked like a potatoe, has, at any 

 rate, the merit of giving no trouble either in the 

 propagation or the cultivation. A handful of the 

 bits of its fruit, or even of its roots, flung about a 

 piece of ground of any sort, will keep bearing for 

 ever, in spite of grass and of weeds ; the difficulty 

 being, not to get it to grow, but to get the ground 

 free from it, when once it has taken to growing. It 

 is a very poor, insipid vegetable ; but, if you wish 

 to have it, now and then, the best way is to keep it 

 out of the garden ; and to dig up the corner of some 

 iield^ and throw some seed or some roots into it. 



228. LAVENDER.— A beautiful little well known 

 shrub of uses equally well known. Hundreds of 

 acres are cultivated in England for the flowers to 

 be used in distillation. It may be propagated from 

 seed ; but is easiest propagated from slips, taken off 

 in the spring, and planted in good moist ground in 

 the shade. When planted out it should be in rows 

 three feet apart and tvvo feet apart in the rows. If 

 the floAvers be to be preserved, the flower-stalks 

 should be cut ofl* before the blossoms begin to fade 

 at all. 



229. LEEK. — There are two sorts; the narroiv- 

 leaved, and the flag -leek, the latter of which is by 

 much the best — Some people like leeks better than 

 onions; and they are better in soup. — Sow in the 

 fall, or, as early in the spring as you can. — Abou* 



