July 11.] 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
229 
WILD FLOWERS OF JULY. 
The natural order Umbelliferce (Apiacew of Lindley) is ft 
I conspicuous one in the mouth of July, as some ot the most 
I gigantic of the tribe produce their large umbels of white 
I flowers. Several of the species of this order are highly 
poisonous, but many of them have been transplanted from 
their native soil to the kitchen-garden with great success, 
' and some of these we shall briefly notice. First, then, there 
| is the Daucus carota, or Wild Carrot, which occurs abun- 
| dantly by waysides, and in pastures and waste places ; but 
we dare say it will be more familiar to the majority of our 
| readers in its culinary character, when its Latin title is ex¬ 
changed for that of Altringliam, or Early Horn Carrot. 
Scarcely less useful is the fusiform root of Pastinaca saliva, 
when cultivation has caused it to assume the form of the gar¬ 
den parsnip ; and the aromatic seeds of the common caraway 
( Carum carat), as well as those of the coriander ( Conundrum 
sativum), are well known for then - kitchen, confectionary, 
and pharmacological uses. In speaking of the Scottish 
Lovage ( Liyusticum Scoticum), a July flowering umbelliferous 
plant, which luxuriates on the bare maritime rocks and 
promontories of the northern portions of Britain, Sir James 
E. Smith remarks (English Flora, II., 82)—“ The herb is 
eaten, either crude or boiled, by the natives of Scotland and 
it^jsles. The flavour is highly acrid, and, though aromatic 
j and perhaps not unwholesome, very nauseous to those who 
j are unaccustomed to such food.” We are sorprto be unable 
to bear testimony to the edible qualities of ligusticum, for, 
accustomed as we have been since days of infancy to see the 
sea-weed cast upon the shore used as food (quite horrifying, 
| no doubt, to the English epicure), yet an instance of Lovage 
! eating has never come under our observation. We presume 
that our coast countrymen have, in these luxurious days, 
i acquired a taste for better fare ; but the fact recorded by 
! Smith is interesting alike to the historian and the botanist, 
i We have still another sea-side umbellifer to add to our list 
of culinaries, that is the Sea Holly (Erynyium maritimim), 
which is now producing its dense heads of blue flowers on 
the sandy coasts; we have the authority of Linnfeus foi the 
value of this plant, and he recommended the blanched shoots 
to be used by way of substitute for asparagus. SirW. J. 
I Hooker (British Flora, I., 133) mentions that the roots are 
well tasted when candied, and they are considered stimu¬ 
lating and restorative, having been so employed in the days 
of Shakespeare. 
But what of the dangerous species ? There is the common 
Hemlock ( Conium maculatum), a very powerful medical 
plant, growing to the height of from three to five feet, the 
hollow glaucous stem being covered with purple spots, and 
somewhat shining. We have also the Fool’s Parsley (jEthusci 
cynapium), whose lurid green hue bespeaks it to be suspi¬ 
cious; Smith well remarks that the few long, pendulous 
bracteas, under each partial umbel, distinguish it from all 
its tribe. The Waterdropworts ( (Enanthe ) are looked upon 
as more or less poisonous, and, indeed, the Hemlock Water- 
| dropwort ((E. crocata), a species whose roots frequently, but 
not always, contain a yellow juice, is considered to be per¬ 
haps the most virulent of British plants, although, curiously 
enough, it is sometimes innocuous ; we find it recorded that 
Ehret, the celebrated botanical draughtsman, experienced a 
giddiness from the mere scent of the plant. Concerning the 
Water Hemlock, or Cowbane, (Cicuta virosa ), a considerable 
difference of opinion seems to exist amongst authors of 
| authoiity, some considering the herb to be fatal to horned 
cattle and other quadrupeds as well as to mankind, while 
others hold that, although a deadly poison to man, cattle 
; may eat the leaves with impunity; in fact, the poisonous 
qualities of the Umbelliferat do not appear to be at all clearly 
understood. Professor Balfour has some useful and inte¬ 
resting remarks on the subject (Manual oj Botany, § 893)—— 
i “ In regard to the poisonous species of this order there is 
still much to be learned. They appear to vary according to 
the soil and climate in which they grow; some species, 
generally reputed poisonous, have been found by Dr. Ghris- 
tison to be quite innocuous when gathered from localities m 
the neighbourhood of Edinburgh. The most important 
plant of this section is Conium maculatum (Hemlock), the 
K&VZLOV of the Greeks; it is a biennial plant, found abun¬ 
dantly in Britain, and distinguished by its undulated ridges, 
I smooth purple spotted stem, and tlie peculiar, mouse-hke 
odour of its leaves when being dried. Every part of the 
plant, especially the fresh leaves and green fruit, contains a 
volatile oleaginous alkali, called Conia, which acts as an 
energetic poison; to this substance the effects of Hemlock 
on the animal frame are due, and care is required in the 
preparation of tlie leaves and fruit in order to retain this 
active principle. A few drops of Conia will kill a small 
animal; it acts on the spinal cord, producing paralysis, with 
slight convulsive twitches, and its fatal efiects are attributed 
to asphyxia, produced by palsy of the muscles of respiration, 
without convulsions or coma. Hemlock lias been employed 
medicinally to allay pain, more especially in cancerous and 
neuralgic affections. (Fnanthe crocata (Hemlock Dropwort, 
or Dead Tongue), and a variety called apiifoUa, have been 
long looked upon as poisonous; the roots have been mis¬ 
taken for parsnips, and fatal effects have been thus produced. 
It would appear, however, that these poisonous qualities are 
not invariably present, for Dr. Christison found that tlie 
roots of this plant when growing in a sea side locality, near 
Edinburgh, were innocuous; it remains to be determined 
if the climate and locality have any effect in modifying the 
properties of the plant. The same remarks may be made in 
regard to (Fnanthe pliellandrium (Water Dropwort) and 
Cicuta virosa (Water Hemlock, or Cowbane), which seem to 
vary as regards their poisonous properties. JFAKusa cyna¬ 
pium (Fool's Parsley) is another plant in the order reputed 
poisonous. It has been stated, that the roots of parsnips 
during the spring of the second year, on the approach of the 
flowering season, occasionally produce a poisonous matter.” 
Before leaving the Umbelliferee, we must mention a few 
other species of general interest which are now in flower, 
viz., the Cow Parsnip, or Hog-weed (Heracleum sphondy- 
Hum), the largest native species, and a very coarse plant, 
but one which is much relished by cattle, and especially 
hogs ; it is reported to be very nourishing and wholesome 
for them. The upright Hedge Parsley ( Torilis anthriscus), 
and its near ally the T. infesta, the fruits .of which are 
curiously clothed with hooked bristles ; the wild Beak Pars¬ 
ley (Anthriscus sylvestris), a beautiful plant, which flowers 
from April to the present time in the woods and. under the 
hedges, and sometimes in more exposed situations; and, 
lastly, we shall note the Shepherd's Needle, or Venus's 
Comb ( Scandix pecten ), whose small white flowers are b) 
no means conspicuous just now, but the large, somewhat 
beak-shaped fruit which follows the flowers readily draws 
attention on the harvest-field.—G. Lawson, F.B.S., &c. 
(To be continued.) 
EXTRACTS EROM CORRESPONDENCE. 
Fuchsia Culture.— It may appear presumptuous in a 
person who has only cultivated Fuchsias about three years, to 
offer an opinion contrary to Mr. Beaton, and many other ex¬ 
perienced gardeners, who, I find, always recommend these 
beautiful plants “ to be cut-in,” early in spring or February. 
Now, I would say cut them down—aye, down to the last eye, 
at that time, and you will have plants of symmetrical forms, 
which I never saw when “ cut-in;" for you have invariably 
long woody stems ; and they never break equally. I cut 
down most of mv plants last December (as I had to be 
absent till March), and I find they did quite as well as if 
they had been operated upon in February. They remained 
under the stage in the greenhouse all winter, and of course 
were kept nearly dry. The house has not had a fire since 
the frost left us. They began to break about the beginning 
of March, and were potted when they had shoots a few 
inches long; and now some of the strongest growers— 
Corallina, Exonicensis, &c.—are from 5 to 6 feet high, and 
without a blind eye from bottom to top, and shaped like a 
cone, and beautiful plants. The weaker sorts are from 2 to 
31 feet high. It is true, it makes them rather later m 
blooming, as they are now only just out; whilst some of 
those that were “ cut-in ” have been in bloom some time; 
but what a difference in the appearance of the plants ! the 
latter have no shape at all, and look like men with one arm. 
My young plants, i.e., this year’s cuttings, I shall keep 
just growing all winter, in order that their leading shoot will 
not die, which in my opinion always spoils the plants. 
