61 
DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 
vellow\ fine grained and sweet ; color of skin yellow, 
with green top. Hardy, keeps well, a good cropper, 
and grows to a very large size. Very popular in the 
Southern States. 
SWEDES, or RUTA BAGAS. 
Yellow Swede, or Ruta Baga.—This and the fol¬ 
lowing form a distinct class, and should be sown at least 
a month earlier. Shape oblong; dull reddish color 
D. M. Ferry &. Co’s Improved Purple Top 
YeMow Ruta Baga? 
above ground, and yellow underneath ; is hardier than 
the common turnip, and will keep solid till spring. 
Carter’s Imperial, Hardy, Purple Top, Yellow 
Ruta Baga. — A most excellent sort for cither table use 
or feeding stock. Flesh yellow, solid, firm, sweet and 
rich. It is a hardy sort, yields heavily, with no ten¬ 
dency to long necks. 
D. M. Ferry & Co’s Improved Purple Top Yel¬ 
low Ruta Baga. — The best variety of Swedish turnip 
in cultivation ; hardy and productive ; flesh yellow, of 
solid texture, sweet and well flavored ; shape slightly 
oblong, terminating abruptly with no side or bottom 
roots ; color deep purple above, and bright yellow under 
the ground ; leaves small, light green, with little or no 
neck ; the most perfect in form, the richest in flavor, 
and the best in every respect. 
Bangholm Ruta Baga. — A very superior variety, 
both in form and quality, and held in high estimation in 
many parts of England. Of large size, small neck, few 
or no side roots, and yields well. Flesh yellow, sweet, 
and solid ; skin yellow, with purple top. 
Sweet Russian, cr White Ruta Baga.—This va¬ 
riety is a most excellent kind, either for the table or 
stock. It grows to a very large size ; flesh white, solid, 
firm texture, sweet and rich ; keeps better than any of 
the preceding, and is becoming very popular where 
known. 
Aromatic, Medicinal and Pot Herbs. 
General Cultural Directions.— Most of the vari¬ 
eties thrive best on rich, sandy soil, which should be 
oarefully prepared and well cultivated, as the young 
plants are for the most part delicate and easily choked 
out by weeds. Sow as early as the ground can be made 
ready, in drills sixteen to eighteen inches apart; or they 
may be planted as a second crop—the seed sown in beds 
in April, and the plants set out in June. Most of them 
should be cut when in bloom, wilted in the sun, and then 
thoroughly dried in the shade. 
Anise, (Pim/>i nclla anisum). Fr. A nis. —Ger. A nis. 
—An annual herb, cultivated principally for its seeds, 
although its leaves are sometimes used for garnishing 
and flavoring. The seeds have a fragrant, agreeable 
smell, a sweetish, pleasant taste, and have the property 
of increasing the secretion of milk. They are also used 
for dyspepsia and colic, and as a corrective of ^riping 
and unpleasant medicines. Sow early in the spring, and 
thin the plants to three inches in the row. 
Balm, ( Melissa 
officinalis}. F r. 
AIelisse. — Ger.il/e~ 
lisse. —A perennial 
herb. The leaves 
have a fragrant 
odor,similar to lem¬ 
ons, and are used 
for making balm 
tea for use in fe¬ 
vers and a pleasant 
beverage called 
Balm Wine. Plant 
early, and thin to 
ton inches apart. 
Bene, (Sesa - 
m u m Indicum). 
Fr. Bene. — Ger. 
Bene .—A native of 
India, naturalized 
at the south, but 
fading to perfect its seeds at the north. The seeds are 
used for food, and furnish a large quantity of oil similar 
to olive oil, but which will keep a long time without be¬ 
coming rancid, and has a marked effect in softening and 
whitening the skin. The leaves abound in a gummy 
matter, and one or two of them immersed in a tumbler 
of water will convert it into a rich bland mucilaginous 
drink, much used at the south for cholera infantum, di¬ 
arrhoea, &c. Do not plant until settled warm weather, 
and allow the plants to stand two feet apart. 
borage, (Borago officinalis). Fr. BourracJt. —Ger. 
Borefsc/i. —A hardy annual, used as a pot herb, and its 
beautiful blue flowers as a garnish. The leaves im¬ 
mersed in water give it an agreeable taste and flavor. It 
is also sown for pasturage, its abundant bloom furnish¬ 
ing a large amount of honey. Sow in April, and thin 
to eight inches apart. In some places this becomes a 
troublesome weed. 
Caraway, (Carum carui). Fr. Carvi. —Ger. Kitvi- 
mel. —Cultivated for its seeds which are used in con¬ 
fectionery, cakes, &c., and the leaves are sometimes used 
in soups. Sow early, and thin to ten inches apart, or sow 
in August. The plant never seeds until the second year, 
but the August sown plants will give a fair crop the 
next season. 
Catnip, ( iiepeta cutaria). Fr. Nc£eta. — Ger. 
Katzenkraut. —A hardy perennial, well known as a 
valuable mild nervine for infants. The plant should be 
dug up by the roots when in full flower, and dried in 
the shade. The seed may be sown in drills twenty 
inches apart, either in fall or spring. 
Chamomile, (A nthemis tiobilis). Fr. Camomile .— 
Ger. Kamillc. —A hardy perennial, the flowers of which 
are valuable for their medicinal properties, being in 
small doses a mild tonic ; and used as a cold infusion, 
they are valuable in cases of enfeebled digestion and 
general debility The flowers should be gathered on a 
dry day and dried in an airy situation as quickly as pos¬ 
sible. It succeeds best on light, poor soil, and may be 
sown in drills sixteen inches apart. 
Coriander, {Coriandauin sativum). Fr. Coriandre . 
—Ger. Koriander .—A hardy annual, cultivated for its 
