OLERACEOUS PLANTS.— SAGE. 



235 



at present. The common sort is propagated 

 by division of the plant, by cuttings, but best 

 of all by sowing the seed, which should be 

 sown early in the season, and transplanted 

 out towards the end of summer, when the 

 plants are about 2 inches in height. Where 

 there is the convenience of sowing on a slight 

 bottom-heat in February, the plants will be 

 ready for transplanting in May, and will be fully 

 established by the end of the season. The lemon 

 sort is capable of increase by cuttings, and also 

 by seed; but, being a low-creeping plant, it is 

 usually done by division of the roots. Both 

 should be planted a foot apart ; and no soil can 

 be too dry or almost too poor for either. Both 

 are hardy; but for winter use the plants should 

 be cut over when just coming into flower, tied 

 up into small bundles, and suspended to the 

 roof of a warm kitchen, so as to dry rapidly and 

 retain their green colour. For the purpose of 

 drying herbs, we have an apartment behind one 

 of the pine-stoves, which can be heated to 60° 

 or 70°, from the ceiling of which we suspend 

 cords ; and as the herbs of this description are 

 cut and tied up into bunches, which should not 

 in any case exceed an inch in diameter where 

 the ends of the branches are secured, they are 

 fastened to the lines, and in three or four days 

 are sufficiently dry to be packed by in air-tight 

 boxes, and placed one on top of the other 

 in a dry room. When the herbs are placed in 

 the boxes, a false lid— that is, a piece of board- 

 ing exactly the size of the inside of the box— is 

 placed over them, and a weight placed over that, 

 to keep them quite tight together. The proper 

 lid is then put on, and the name of the herb 

 written on the side of each box. In this way 

 they are secured from damp and dust, which 

 are both alike destructive to them. For further 

 on preserving herbs, vide Section Mint. It 

 is important that all herbs be cut when per- 

 fectly dry, and just as they are coming into 

 flower. A judicious plan is followed by those 

 who grow this plant for the London market — 

 namely, by sowing the seed broadcast, and mo- 

 derately thinning out the plants after they have 

 attained the height of 2 inches. The rest are left 

 upon the ground, and drawn up by the roots 

 when required for use. 



The European names are — Thym in French ; 

 Timo in Italian ; Tomillo in Spanish ; Thimian 

 in German; Tomilho in Portuguese; Gomeene 

 thym in Dutch. 



§ 3.— SAGE, BALM , MINT, ETC. 



Sage.— Salvia officinalis L., the common sage, 

 with its two varieties — variegata, the variegated, 

 and tenuior, the slender ; Salvia sclarea, L., 

 common clary; Salvia horminum L., hormium 

 clary ; and the varieties, violacea, purple-topped, 

 and rubra, red-topped — are all cultivated for 

 culinary purposes. The common sage and its 

 two varieties are, however, the most common. 

 These are natives of the south of Europe, and 

 appear to have been introduced about the same 

 time (1597.) The common clary is a native of 



Italy, and was introduced in 1562; the hor- 

 mium clary is a native of the south of Europe, 

 introduced in 1596. The sages belong to the 

 natural order Labiatse, and to the class Dian- 

 dria and order Monogynia in the Linnsean ar- 

 rangement. The generic name is derived from 

 Salvus, safe ; according to others, from Solvere, 

 to save, on account of its supposed healing 

 qualities. It is called sage in English, from the 

 French word Sage, wise, from its supposed pro- 

 perty of strengthening the memory, and making 

 people sage or wise. 



The French make an excellent pickle of the 

 young leaves of common sage. In Britain it is 

 commonly used as a seasoning for strong meats, 

 sausages, ducks, goose, &c, and was formerly 

 much used in making sage cheese. The leaves 

 of the narrow-leafed variety are employed in 

 making sage tea. The Chinese use it for this 

 purpose ; and at one time the Dutch carried on 

 a profitable trade, by procuring the leaves from 

 the south of France, drying them to resemble 

 tea, and disposing of it in China, where for 

 every lb. of sage they got in exchange four of 

 tea. 



All the sages are propagated by seed and by 

 cuttings. The plantations should be renewed 

 every third year, as they often suffer by the cold 

 and damp of our winters. The seed should be 

 sown early in March upon a slight bottom-heat ; 

 and if so, the plants will be fit to plant out in 

 May, when they should be set in lines 15 

 inches apart, and a foot distant in the line. 

 Cuttings are best put in (using the young wood 

 of the present year's growth) about the latter 

 end of May or beginning of June, planted in a 

 partially -shaded place, and covered with hand- 

 glasses. The cuttings may be taken off from 

 4 to 5 inches in length, cutting off (not 

 stripping) the lower leaves as far as the cutting 

 is inserted in the ground, and leaving all the 

 other leaves entire. They will soon, at that 

 season, form a small callosity at their base, from 

 which the roots proceed. At this period, air 

 must be admitted more freely to them, and 

 when the roots have formed, the glasses should 

 be removed entirely. By August they will be 

 fit to plant in their permanent situations at the 

 distances noticed above. Should any of them 

 send up flower-stems the first season, these 

 should be cut off, and, indeed, the tops of the 

 shoots had better be all so served at planting, 

 or soon afterwards, to cause them to become 

 bushy and compact. In gathering green sage 

 for use, cut off the tops and side-shoots neatly ; 

 and when gathering for drying, let the flowers 

 be nearly expanded, and cut off the young 

 shoots only, in a neat manner, that the old 

 plants may sustain no injury. Keep the ground 

 clear of weeds, and stir amongst the plants fre- 

 quently, but apply no manure whatever. 



The common clary sage is raised from seed, 

 and also from cuttings, which are to be treated 

 like the last; while the hormium clary, or an- 

 nual sage, is to be propagated by seeds only. 

 Sow in March in drills 1 inch deep, 15 inches 

 row from row, thinning out the plants as they 

 advance to a foot apart. Neither of the lat- 

 ter need be grown to any great extent ; from 



