Meetin’ Seed and Sabbath Day Posies 349 
cure talking in sleep, and other “ vanityes of the 
heade.” An old Salem sea captain had this recipe for 
baldness: “Take a quantitye of Suthernwoode and 
put it upon kindled coale to burn and being made 
into a powder mix it with oyl of radiches, and anoynt 
a bald head and 
you shall see 
great experi- 
ences.” The ly- 
ing old Dispensa- 
tory of Culpepper 
gave a rule to mix 
the ashes of 
Sou th ernwood 
with “ Old Sallet 
Oyl” which 
“ helpeth those 
that are hair- 
fallen and bald.” 
Far pleasanter 
were the uses of 
the plant as a love 
charm. Pliny did 
not disdain to 
counsel putting 
Southernwood 
under the pillow to make one dream of a lover. A 
sprig of Southernwood in an unmarried girl’s shoe 
would bring to her the sight of her husband-to-be 
before night. 
Sixty years ago two young country folk of New 
England were married. The twain built them a 
Sun-dial at Emery Place, Brightwood, 
District of Columbia. 
