"Propagation.—Sow the seeds in a bed in the month of March, and transplant the roots next autumn twelvemonth, as above directed; or divide the old roots, which is the quickest way of obtaining a crop.
"Time of Harvesting.—If a fine quality of Hemp is desired, mow the crop when it is in full bloom; but should a greater produce of inferior quality be more desirable, it should stand until the seeds are nearly ripe. It should remain in the field about a week after it is mown, and when sufficiently dry gathered in bundles and stacked as Hemp.
"Separation of Hemp from the Pulps.—Rot it in water, as practised withHemp.
"The Perennial Hemp grows to the height of from four to six feet.
"The root inclines horizontally with numerous fleshy fibres at the extremity.
"The buds many, and resembling the buds of the Lily of the Valley.
"It is the Urtica canadensis of Kalm, one of which was brought over and planted by the side of this plant, and we could not find any difference."
60. LAPSANA communis. NIPPLE-WORT.—This plant is considered by the country people as a sovereign remedy for the piles. The plant is immersed in boiling water, and the cure is effected by applying the steam arising therefrom to the seat of the disease; and this, with cooling medicine and proper regimen, is seldom known to fail in curing this troublesome disease.
61. DAPHNE laureola. WOOD LAUREL.—The leaves of this plant have little or no smell but a very durable nauseous acrid taste. If taken internally in small doses, as ten or twelve grains, they are said to operate with violence by stool and sometimes by vomit, so as not to be ventured on with safety, unless their virulence be previously abated by long boiling, and even then they are much to precarious to be trusted to. The flowers are of a different nature, being in taste little other than mucilaginous and sweetish, and of a light pleasant smell. The pulpy part of the berries appears also to be harmless. The bark macerated in water has of late been much employed in France as a topical application to the skin for the purpose of excoriating and exciting a discharge.
62. RUMEX acutus. SHARP-POINTED DOCK.—The root of this plant has long been used in medicine, and considered as useful in habitual costiveness, obstructions of the viscera, and in scorbutic and cutaneous maladies; in which case both external and internal applications have been made of it. A decoction of half or a whole drachm of the dry roots has been considered a dose.—Lewis's Mat. Medica.
63. ELYMUS arenarius. ELYMUS geniculatus. LIME GRASS.—The foliage of these grasses make excellent mats and baskets; and where they grow in quantity afford a livelihood to many industrious persons who manufacture these articles.
64. SALSOLA Kali. GLASS-WORT, or KELP. Soda and Barilla are yielded by this plant. The ashes of this vegetable yield an alkaline salt, which is of considerable use for making glass, soap, &c. The small quantity grown in this country is by no means equal to the demand, and Spain has the advantage of trade in this article, where the plant grows wild in the greatest abundance. An impure alkali similar to these is obtained from the combustion of other marine plants, as the Fuci, &c. by the people in Scotland.
65. BORAGO officinalis. BORAGE—A fine cooling beverage is made from this herb, called Cool Tankard. It is merely an infusion of the leaves and flowers put into water, with the addition of wine, nutmeg, &c. &c.
* * * * *
OBSERVATIONS on the BLEEDING TREES, and procuring the Sap for makingWine, and brewing Ale.
In the article BIRCH TREE, (p. 34, No. 107, of this volume,) we have mentioned the abstracting the sap for the purpose of making wine; and as this is practicable, and may be obtained in some places at little expense and trouble, I shall take the liberty of transcribing the following curious paper on the subject.
"To obtain the greatest store of sap in the shortest time from the body of a tree, bore it quite through the pith, and the very inner rind on the other side, leaving only the bark unpierced on the north-east side. This hole to be made sloping upwards with a large auger, and that under a large arm near the ground. This way the tree will in a short time afford liquor enough to brew with; and with some of these sweet saps, one bushel of malt will make as good ale as four bushels with ordinary water. The Sycamore yields the best brewing sap.
"The change of weather has a great effect on the bleeding of plants. When the weather changes from warm to cold, Birch ceases to bleed, and upon the next warmth begins again: but the contrary obtains in the Walnut-tree, and frequently in the Sycamore, which upon a fit of cold will bleed plentifully, and, as that remits, stop. A morning sun after frost will make the whole bleeding tribe bleed afresh.
"From the latter end of January to the middle of May trees will bleed. Those that run first, are the Poplar, Asp, Abele, Maple, Sycamore. Some, as Willows and the Birch, are best to tap about the middle of the season, and the Walnut towards the latter end of March.
"When a large Walnut will bleed no longer in the body or branches, it will run at the root, and longer on the south or sunny side than on the north or shady side.
"A culinary fire will have the same or greater effect than the sun, and immediately set trees a-bleeding in the severest weather. Branches of Maple or Willow cut off at both ends, will bleed and cease at pleasure again and again as you approach them to or withdraw them from the fire, provided you balance them in your hand, and often invert them to prevent the falling and expence of the sap; but at length they cease.
"A Birch will not bleed however deeply the bark only may be wounded: it is necessary to pierce into the substance of the wood."—Dr. Tonge in Phil. Trans. No. 43.