COMPOSITE. 123 
rare in Scotland, though occurring as far North as Dumbarton, 
Moray, and Aberdeen. 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Late Summer 
and Autumn. 
Root large, tapering, fleshy. Stem rough, with short woolly 
hairs, 1 to 1 feet high. Radical and lower stem-leaves large, vary- 
ing much in the depth of the incisions; upper stem-leaves small, 
with branches or peduncles in their axils. Anthodes numerous, 
1 to 1 1 inch across. Florets pale bright-blue, varying to white. 
Acholics | inch long, obovate, truncate at the apex, irregularly 
angular, pale or marbled. Plant green, generally rough with small 
hairs, especially on the midrib of the leaves beneath, but sometimes 
nearly glabrous. 
In the cultivated form the radical leaves are usually entire or 
nearly so. 
Wild Succory. 
French, Chicoree Sauvage. German, Gemeine Wegwarte. 
The bright and beautiful blue colour of the blossoms of the Chicory cannot fail 
to attract the most unobservant of pedestrians by the road- or hedge-side, though, 
perhaps, few recognize in it the plant about which so much has been written and said 
as an agent in the adulteration of coffee. In Germany, and some parts of the Nether- 
lands and France, it is extensively cultivated for the sake of its roots, which are used 
as a substitute for coffee. They are not unwholesome used in this way, but they are 
destitute of any principle like caffeine, which would supply the place of that substance 
in diet ; neither have they the aromatic flavour or essential oil which belongs to the 
coffee berry. Chicory has little to recommend it but its cheapness, and this circumstance 
has caused its extensive employment, not alone as a substitute but as an adulteration of 
coffee. Some short time since a report was drawn up by Dr. Letheby and Dr. Hassall 
on the properties of Chicory, in which they say, " No one who is acquainted with the 
respective properties of chicory and coffee can for a moment entertain the opinion 
that the former can be effectively substituted for the latter." They point out that the 
two substances differ very materially from aach other in their botanical nature, one 
being a fruit or seed of a tree, while the other is the succulent root of an herbaceous 
plant. " Now it is a well-ascertained fact, that of all parts of vegetables the fruit and 
seeds usually possess the most active properties. This is no doubt due to the circum- 
stance of their being freely exposed to the influence of light and air, agencies which 
promote chemical changes in plants, and so effect the elaboration of those complex 
organic substances on which the activity of vegetables depends. On the other hand, it 
must be manifest, that as the roots are removed from the influence of these powerful 
agencies, they cannot be so richly endowed with active properties ; and, indeed, there 
are but few roots which contain either alkaloids or volatile oils — the two classes of 
ituents which give to coffee its peculiar virtues." In the preparation of Chicory 
Ider roots are selected ; they are first cleansed in a very imperfect manner by 
ing, then cut into slices and dried in a kiln ; in this state they are furnished to 
the chicory-roaster, who submits them to a rough kind of roasting process, somewhat 
