226 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, July 19, 1859. 
it, an innocent enjoyment given to us for a wise purpose. In all 
ages the exhibition of a pleasing odour has been considered highly 
grateful. The ancients, as is well known, cast sweet-smelling 
woods and flowers on to a fire to do honour to their gods and 
heroes ; and, in our day, the burning of strong-scented herbs is 
considered beneficial to health. My list of herbs used for their 
perfume is not extensive, and some of them cannot be grown in 
this country without the aid of a hothouse; but most of them 
can be grown in any suitable soil in the open air. 
Aloysia citrIodoba {Sweet-scented, Verbena). —A lialf-hardy : 
shrub, requiring a dry, deep,- sandy soil. In the southern parts 
of Britain and in Ireland this aromatic shrub is hardy ; in other 
parts it may be preserved alive by cutting down in autumn, and 
covering the roots with dry ashes, tan, or fern-fronds. It is pro¬ 
pagated by cuttings of ripened wood, in a border, or by short, 
young, stubby shoots in sand under a bell-glass in a gentle heat. 
The grateful scent is obtained by distillation; but the spirit j 
requires to be kept in closely stoppered bottles, or it will soon j 
evaporate. 
Lavbhdula erica {Common Lavender). —A well-known hardy 
low sffrub, native of the south of Europe. It is easily propagated 
by cuttings. Take an old bush, and cut it up into short branches, 
and plant them thick like dwarf Box-edging during a moist time in 
May or June, scarcely one branch will die. Then in autumn take 
them up, and plant them in rows three feet apart, and the same 
distance from plant to plant. In two years they will cover the 
ground, and will produce abuudance of spikes of flowers. This 
shrub loves a dry, deep, loamy soil, though its scented properties 
are most strongly developed in a limestone soil. It is grown 
largely in some parts of Surrey, and also in Huntingdonshire. 
Lavender scent is, perhaps, more highly esteemed than any other. 
It seems to please almost everybody. 
The oil of Lavender is, of course, the concentrated ossence of 
the perfume, and is obtained by distillation and gathering the oil 
that floats on the surface of the distilled water. The spikes must 
be gathered when in flower for distillation, and should always be \ 
cut in dry weather in the middle of the day. After the spikes ' 
are all gathered, trim in the bushes, dig the ground between 
them, and keep it constantly hoed. A plantation will, in a right j 
soil, last for six or seven years. No manure should be given to , 
them ; for if the ground is rich, the shrubs do not ripen their wood, 
and then they are apt to perish in severe winters. Though this I 
shrub is so well known, many of our readers have no conception I 
how largely it is grown. I have seen fields ten acres in extent 
entirely cropped with this fragrant shrub. Such a sight would 
rather astonish some of our north-country farmers. 
Mentha odorata ( Sweet Bergamot Mint). — A perennial 
plant, native of watery places in Britain. Requires a moist rich 
soil, and is easily increased by division, or by cuttings of the 
young tops, in a shady border, in May or June. The scent of 
this plant is very pleasing, and forms the basis of many of our 
advertised perfumes. Gather the herb when in flower on a dry 
day, and place the shoots, closely compressed, into a common 
still. As soon as the spirit has passed over, put it into bottles 
and stop them up very close ; cover the corks with hot resin, to j 
keep in the perfume. The dried leaves may be put into a drawer 
with such things as are desired to be scented, but such scent soon ' 
flie3 off on exposure. 
Mentha piperita {Peppermint). — A well-known strong- 
scented perennial plant, increased by division or by cuttings of 
the young tops, planted in dropping weather in May or June. 
The scent is stronger if the bed of Pepperment is on a dry soil. 
The herb should be gathered in dry weather, as it yields then the ! 
fiuest oil or water. 
Rondeletjm. odorata. —A West Indian small tree that yields 
the far-famed Rondeletia perfume. The foliage when bruised 
is highly aromatic, and is peculiarly pleasant. 1 have grown 
plants of it, and placed the bruised leaves among linen in 
drawers, and found the scent given to the linen to be very per¬ 
sistent. The leaves are distilled in the West Indies, and the 
essential oil sent to England, where it is highly valued. It is a 
stove plant. 
Rosmarinus opeicinalis {Rosemary). —A hardy, rather up¬ 
right growing shrub, native of the south of Europe. Increased 
by seed, cuttings and layers. In rich soils this shrub, like Lavender, 
will not bear severe frost. It should, therefore, be planted in 
dry gravelly soil, or loam mixed with old lime-rubbish. Sow the 
seeds in May in drills six inches apart; and transplant them, as 
soon as they can be handled, into the prepared soil. Cuttings 
may be put in under a hand-light shaded, any time early in 
summer ; or they may be put in pots in sandy soil, and placed in 
gentle heat, and planted out when struck. The scent of this 
shrub is agreeable, and is almost a certain cure for nervous head¬ 
ache. 1 am not troubled much with this distressing complaint; 
but 1 was once taken with it very severely. I was then living alone 
in a garden. I got out of bed and crawled to a Rosemary bush, 
and gathered a handful of branches. On them I poured a quantity 
of boiling water, aud inhaled the steam for half an hour, and 
drinking occasionally a table-spoonful of the infusion. I was 
glad to find the distressing throbbing pain gradually ceased, and 
in two hours I was quite well. I can confidently recommend this 
simple remedy to any one so afflicted. 
The flowers and calyces are used us the chief ingredients in 
distilling the famous Hungary water; and the leaves in infusions 
add to the flavour of tea for febrile complaints. It is the herb of 
remembrance. I have often attended funerals iu Yorkshire, 
where sprigs of Rosemary have been cast upon the coffin. 
Vanilla tlanieolia. —This is an orchidaceous plant growing 
on trees in the West Indies. In our stoves it climbs up a back 
wall like Ivy. The scent is obtained from the long pods that 
succeed the flowers. These are gathered just when they are 
open, placed under a still, aud the perfume is thus extracted. 
The pods are also dried and powdered, and the powder is highly 
scented and as highly esteemed. It has fruited in several places 
in this country, particularly at Sion House, and at the Fence 
near Macclesfield, and also at Chatsworth. The pods produced 
at these places were quite as highly perfumed as any imported 
from the West Indies. 
1 have no doubt many other fragrant herbs might be made use 
of for their perfume; and as variety is desirable, distillers of such 
things should try experiments with others—such, for instance, as 
Lemon Thyme. A hint, however, is enough for these gentry : 
the public will pay liberally for any new pleasant perfume.— 
T. Arplebt. 
{To be continued) 
THE SCIENCE OF GARDENING. 
{Continued from page 210.) 
The following table shows some of the constituents of common 
stable manure that are constituents also of our usual crops :— 
Stable manure. 
Carbon 
Hydrogen 
Oxygen 
Nitrogen . 
Carbonate of lime 
Muriate of potash 
Muriate of Soda . 
Sulphate of potash 
Magnesia 
Phosphate of lime 
Oxide of iron 
Alumina . 
Silica . 
} These are the chief components of 
all plants. 
In some vegetables. 
In almost all plants. 
In Cucumbers, Garlic, <5cc. 
Perhaps in all. 
In Cucumbers, Garlic, &c. 
In all corn and many other plants. 
Potatoes, Onions, and most other 
crops. 
In most plants. 
| In most plauts. 
Stable manure, and for the same reason every other manure 
composed of animal or vegetable remains, is evidently valuable to 
plants, by affording them such matters as they are composed of. 
But this is not the only reason that manures are beneficial; for in 
that case mere decayed parts of their own species should be the 
most fertilising applications. There is no doubt that plauts are 
essentially benefited by such applications ; but why do Potatoes, 
for example, grow more luxuriantly on ground manured by sprats 
than on ground manured with the dung of horses, and still more 
superior to the same crop grown on a plot manured with the 
decayed parts of its own species ? Apparently, but only partly, 
because the manures mentioned decompose with a rapidity exactly 
proportioned to the order of benefit. Sprats decompose, and 
their parts become soluble and capable of use by the plants, first 
and most rapidly; then the dung of animals; lastly, the vege¬ 
table remains. All the less solid animal matters decompose with 
greater rapidity than vegetable matters : hence the dung of such 
animals as are carnivorous is the most prompt in benefiting vege¬ 
tation. Witness uight soil, pigs’ dung, &c. j but such manures 
are not the most permanent, Hassenfratz manured two portions 
of the same soil, No. 1, with a mixture of dung and straw highly 
putrefied; No. 2, with a similar mixture, newly made. He 
