410 



DOMESTIC BOTANY. 



occupied with them. In this country the seasons are not 

 hot enough to ripen the petals for any other purpose than 

 making rose water, which is obtained by simple distillation. 

 By other processes oil and atta (or as in this country called 

 otto) of roses is made," the finest coming from Cashmere, 

 but the largest supply to Europe from Adrianople. It is 

 seldom to be had in a pure state, being mixed AV'ith oil of 

 geranium, and also olive oil, and sold in druggists' shops as 

 hair oil. Spirit of Roses is also obtained by distilling the 

 petals with a small quantity of spirits of wine, which, when 

 mixed with sugar, makes the liquor known in France as 

 lliuile de rose. Rose vinegar is simply dried petals infused 

 in the best distilled vinegar. Honey of Roses is made by 

 beating up fresh flowers with boiling water, and then mixing 

 them with honey. Conserve of Roses is prepared by beating 

 up the petals with their weight of sugar ; it was once much 

 used as a medicine, and still enters into the composition 

 of electuaries and other compounds, to which it imparts 

 fragrance. 



Strawberry {Fragaria vesca and F. elatior). These are 

 the wild StraAvberries of this country, and were the only 

 ones known in early times, " Strawberry ripe" being a cry 

 in London four hundred years ago. After the introduction 

 of the Virginian and Chilian varieties, all the fine kinds 

 known have been obtained by careful cultivation and hybri- 

 dization, many being of very large size. They are exten- 

 sively cultivated, and during the season vast quantities are 

 brought to the London market. Before the days of railways, 

 they were carried in baskets by women, who came chiefly 

 from Shropshire. These Shropshire girls, as they were called, 

 being generally uniform in dress, it was a curious sight to see 

 twenty or thirty marching in a line with the baskets sitting 

 freely on their heads. 



Raspberry (Bubus Idceus). A deciduous shrub, native of 

 Britain, most parts of temperate Europe, and Western tem- 

 perate Asia. The fruit is of two colours, red and white, the 

 latter being called the Dutch. By cultivation they have 



