242 



CULINARY OR KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.) belongs 

 to the natural order Composite, sub-order An- 

 themidese, and to the class Syngenesia and 

 order Superflua in the Linnsean arrangement. 

 Indigenous to Britain ; found in neglected places. 

 Several of the genus are included in the Materia 

 Medica, but, according to Dr Thomson, our pre- 

 sent subject is the only one of them deserving 

 to be retained. A long list of its virtues is 

 given in "London Dispensatory," p. 152. The 

 seed is used by the rectifiers of British spirits, 

 and it is largely cultivated about Mitcham in 

 Surrey for that purpose. The whole plant is 

 used as a substitute for hops in brewing, and 

 for this purpose it is cultivated in cottage 

 gardens. It is also grown in most gardens for 

 the purpose of being chopped up along with rue, 

 cress, and similar plants, and mixed with the 

 food of young turkeys. Plants of it should be 

 set in every poultry-yard, as it is exceedingly 

 beneficial to them. It is a hardy perennial plant, 

 readily propagated by division of the root, as 

 well as by seed, and may also be increased by 

 cuttings, treated as already recommended for 

 other herbs. An infusion of the seed makes an 

 excellent and safe stomachic, taken to the ex- 

 tent of a wine-glassful every morning, the same 

 as chamomile. Three or four flowers of the lat- 

 ter, and half a tea-spoonful of the seeds of the 

 former, infused in a pint of warm water, and 

 taken when cold, is tbe proper quantity. 



The European names are — Absinthe in French; 

 Wermuth in German; Alsem in Dutch ; Ajenjo 

 in Spanish ; Assenzio in Italian. 



Rue (Ruta graveolens L.) belongs to the natu- 

 ral order Rutacese and tribe Rutese, and to the 

 class Decandria and order Monogynia in the 

 Linnsean arrangement. It long held a high 

 place in medicine, but is now less regarded. It 

 is grown in gardens, as stated in the last article, 

 chiefly for the use of poultry, and is given them 

 with advantage in cases of croup. A native of 

 the south of Europe, and introduced prior to 

 1562. It is readily propagated by seed sown 

 in March, and by cuttings planted in April or 

 May. It delights in a poor, dry, calcareous soil, 

 in which it will continue from eight to twelve 

 years, if not cut down with frost, which some- 

 times happens, but seldom till the thermometer 

 falls to 15°. In cold situations it should be 

 planted in a sheltered place, at the bottom of a 

 wall, or amongst large stones in a rockery. For- 

 merly the English, as well as the Germans and 

 Dutch, used the green leaves of rue in their ra- 

 gouts. They were also used as a pickle, being 

 first boiled and then preserved in vinegar, and 

 were in that state esteemed a good sauce for 

 meat. The celebrated antidote of Mithridates, 

 king of Pontus, with which most medical stu- 

 dents are familiar, and which has, with slight 

 alterations, been in use for nearly nineteen cen- 

 turies, is principally composed of this plant. 

 The receipt will be found, by a reference to 

 " Phillips' Hist, of Fruits," p. 35 1. The European 



names are — Rue in French ; Raute in German ; 

 Ruta in Italian; Ruite in Dutch; Ruda in Span- 

 ish ; Ruta in Russian ; Rude in Danish ; and 

 Vinneta in Swedish. 



Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza Tou ; Glabra L. ; 

 Liquiritia officinalis Monch.) belongs to the 

 natural order Leguminosse, sub-order Papilio- 

 nacse, tribe Lotese, sub-tribe Galegese, and to 

 the class Diadelphia and order Decandria in 

 the Linnsean arrangement. The name is derived 

 from Qlykys, sweet ; Rhiza, root. A native of the 

 south of Europe, and introduced prior to 1562. 

 A hardy perennial deep-rooting plant, requir- 

 ing a deep, sandy, loamy soil, trenched to 2\ 

 or 3 feet in depth, and manured if necessary. 

 Propagated by cuttings of the roots, which cut- 

 tings should be taken from the small horizon- 

 tal roots of established plants. These should 

 be cut into pieces 6 inches long, and planted 

 in rows 3 feet asunder, setting the cuttings 

 18 inches apart in the line. During the first 

 year after planting the ground may be cropped 

 with lettuce, turnip, or any other shallow- 

 rooting, low-growing crop ; and at the end of 

 the first season cut down the stems close to 

 the ground, and fork up the surface. The third 

 or fourth year after planting, the roots will be 

 fit for use. They should be dug up in autumn, 

 taking care to open a deep trench along one side 

 of the row, so as to get the roots out to their 

 full length. When taken up, if grown for sale, 

 they should be immediately disposed of to the 

 brewers' druggists, as they are largely employed 

 in porter brewing; or to medical druggists, who 

 also use them in medicine. If for private use, 

 they should be packed in sand in the root-cellar, 

 like beet, parsnip, &c, till wanted. 



The European names are — Zoethout in Dutch ; 

 Reglisse in French ; Regaliz in Spanish ; Suss- 

 holz in German ; Regolizia in Italian. It is 

 chiefly grown in gardens for the saccharine juice 

 obtained from the root by decoction, which is 

 used as an emollient in cold and fevers. 



Elecampane (Inula helenium L. ; Corvisartia 

 helenium Merat.) belongs to the natural order 

 Compositse, sub-order Carduacese, division Ver- 

 noniacese, and to the class Syngenesia and 

 order Superflua in the Linnsean arrangement. 

 Inula is a corruption from Helenium. Indi- 

 genous to Britain, found in moist pastures in 

 the south of England ; one of our largest native 

 plants, attaining a height of from 3 to,5 feet. 

 It long maintained a place in almost every gar- 

 den in Europe, but of late it has been less re- 

 garded. The root is the part used ; it is thick, 

 fusiform, and aromatic, and is used medicinally 

 in a candied state. Propagated by seed, but 

 more generally by offsets taken off in autumn, 

 when the plant is done flowering. These planted 

 3 feet apart in a deep, rather moist soil, in a 

 partially shaded situation, will be fit for use the 

 end of the second year. The European names 

 are — Inule in French and German ; and Inulo 

 in Italian. 



