CULTURE AM) PROPAGATION OF HERBS. 
349 
used in soups, though in our opinion the smell of it is not very plea¬ 
sant. A very agreeable wine is made by boiling the flowering part 
of the stem with sugar at the time it is in full blow. It is considered 
a good medical herb. 
Culture .—Sow the seeds in light soil, in an open part of the gar¬ 
den, any time about March or April. When the plants have at¬ 
tained the height of three or four inches, thin them out to six inches 
apart. Keep them free from weeds, and they will be fit for use in July. 
Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is an annual, a native of Eng¬ 
land. Its name is supposed to be derived from Koris, a bug, on ac¬ 
count of the smell of the leaves of the plant. The seeds are used to 
conceal the taste of senna, and they prevent the griping occasioned 
by that medicine. They are also covered with sugar as a sweetmeat. 
Culture .—Sow the seeds in March or April, in light soil, in any 
part of the garden, and nothing further will be required than to keep 
them free from weeds. The seeds will ripen about the end of August. 
Fennel, (Anethum Foeniculum.)—Probably the specific name 
of this plant is derived from focnum, hay ; because when withered 
and dried like hay, it was preserved in a similar manner for winter. 
It is a perennial, and according to our British botanists, indigenous 
to this country, growing in abundance about Feversham, in Kent, 
near Brighton, and in many other places, particularly near the sea- 
coast, a situation in which it appears most to delight. The French 
writers think it was originally brought from Syria; but we are in¬ 
clined to consider it another variety called Foeniculum dulce, or 
Sweet Fennel, which is much cultivated in France and Italy under 
the name of Finochio. This has a thick stem, and, when earthed 
up and blanched like celery, eats very tender and crisp. This latter 
sort is now more generally cultivated, the leaves being used for fish 
and other purposes, in preference to the common, the quality of it 
being milder. Fennel is regarded as a very wholesome herb; every 
part of it agrees well with the stomach. It is used in broth to 
cleanse the blood, and to remove obstructions from the liver. The 
seed is an excellent carminative, and is recommended for those who 
are troubled with shortness of breath, or a wheezing occasioned by 
the stoppage of the lungs. The steam arising from the leaves in 
decoction strengthens the sight; the herb facilitates digestion when 
chewed ; a decoction of it is useful in small pox and measles, and 
the roots boiled in wine are said to be good for the dropsy. Some 
of the ancient physicians thought it an excellent remedy for the 
venom of serpents and other reptiles. It was much used by the 
Romans for seasoning; even the bakers placed it in the oven under 
their bread to give it a pleasant flavour. 
