420 



DOMESTIC BOTANY. 



fodder plant. Hop Medick {M. lupulina), is also cultivated 

 for fodder ; its flowers have some resemblance to those of 

 Hop ; hence its name. 



Bokhara Clover {Melilotus alba). Some years ago this 

 came into repute as a fodder plant, but is now not much 

 used. 



Melilot {Melilotus officinalis). A clover-like annual or 

 biennial, widely cultivated throughout Europe and Western 

 Asia, as food for cattle. In Switzerland the leaves are made 

 into powder, w^hich is used for flavouring Chapzieger Cheese, 



Fenugreek {Tngonella Fcenum-GTcECum). An annual, 

 growing like Lucerne. It is a native of the South of Europe 

 and of the regions around the Mediterranean. In Greece 

 the seeds are eaten, either boiled or raw^, mixed with honey ; 

 they are of strong odour, and w^ere used in medicine by the 

 ancients; but now their only use is for giving ialse im- 

 portance to horse medicine, and flavour to damaged hay. 



Lupin (Lvpinus alhus). An annual, which, according to 

 history, has been cultivated in Egypt from the niost remote 

 period. It is extensively grown in the South of Europe for 

 ploughing in as manure (which is also the case in Germany 

 with the Yellow Lupin). For some years past it has been 

 cultivated in many parts of Britain for the same purpose. 

 The seeds of this, also of the well known blue and yellow 

 Lupins, are used as food when boiled ; in a raw state they are 

 poisonous, the two latter in a higher degree than the first. 



liiquoTice {Gil/ ci/rrhiza glabra). A strong- growing peren- 

 nial, with winged clover-like leaves. It attains the height of 

 2 or 3 feet, and is a native of the South of Europe, where it 

 is extensively cultivated, as also in some parts of this country, 

 especially near Pontefract in Yorkshire, and Mitcham and 

 Kew in Surrey. It has a long tap-root, attaining in some 

 soils the depth of 5 or 6 feet, which by boiling yields a 

 molass-like sweet syrup extensively used for giving an appa- 

 rent body to inferior porter. The w^ell-known Spanish 

 liquorice is the juice hardened and made into rolls, which 

 is imported from Spain. 



