GALE'GA OFFICINA'LIS. 
OFFICINAL goat’s RUE. 
Class. Order. 
MONADELPHIA. DECANDRIA. 
Natural Order. 
LEGUMINOSiE. 
Native of 
Heig'ht. 
Flowers in 
Duration. 
Introduced 
Spain. 
4 feet. 
July, Sept. 
Perennial. 
in 1568. 
No. 607. 
From the Greek gala, milk, the name of the 
present genus is believed to have originated. It 
may be presumed that the Greek plant formed nu- 
tritious food for cattle, and that it encouraged their 
produce of milk, 
Galega officinalis (of which there is a white, as 
well as lilac, variety) is deservedly a favourite 
plant ; and being so completely hardy, as well as 
showy, it is not unfrequently met with. It always 
possesses a cheering luxuriance with its gaiety ; 
and by a little attention the duration of this luxu- 
riance may be considerably prolonged. If its stems 
be cut back before they have exhausted themselves 
in flowering, they will produce healthy young shoots 
which will blossom later in the season than those 
of the first growth. 
This is a practice which we think worthy of at- 
tention both by florists and horticulturists. If the 
usual growth of a plant be thwarted, it will gene- 
rally be found that its powers will exhibit them- 
selves through some other channel. Cutting back 
the stems, as above mentioned, is simply pruning 
with a particular view — that of protracting the matu- 
