Herbs
In many gardens, the cultivation of Herbs does not receive the attention their usefulness deserves. Some sorts are rarely required, beyond a small portion of their leaves for flavouring; still, in many cases, the flavour cannot be obtained from any other material. Those which are herbaceous perennials--Horehound and Mint, for instance--should be cut on a dry day, in summer, when the flowers are just fully opened, and dried slowly in a cool shed for winter use. The annuals and evergreen perennials are best if procurable in a green state; but several of them answer their purpose when dried, and some should, consequently, be kept in reserve. Herbs should always be dried slowly, and not placed in the sun nor in fire heat. The flavour may be preserved much better by rubbing off the leaves when they are quite dry, and corking them close in wide-mouthed bottles. A piece of ground specially devoted to Herbs, is the best arrangement in any garden; at least, for the cultivation of those of which only a few plants need be kept. Plenty of room should be allowed for getting amongst them to gather any particular sort, and to keep the soil hoed. Part of the space might be devoted to the annual sorts, in preference to placing them amongst other crops in different parts of the garden. Parsley requires special treatment and attention, as it is always of great importance for garnishing. The following list comprises most of the useful Herbs in cultivation for flavouring purposes, &c.: Angelica, Balm, Basil (Bush and Sweet), Borage, Burnet, Carraway, Chamomile, Chervil, Chives, Coriander, Dill, Fennel, Horehound, Hyssop, Lavender, Marigold, Marjoram (Sweet), Mint, Parsley, Pennyroyal, Purslane, Rosemary, Rue, Sage, Savory (Summer and Winter), Southernwood, Tansy, Tarragon, Thyme, and Wormwood.