d are also grown in groups, or hills, three
or four together. The plants blossom in July, and the pods attain their
growth in August and September.

_Use._--The pods, in their green state, much resemble some descriptions
of worms; and, like Caterpillars (_Scorpiurus_) and Snails (_Medicago_),
are sometimes placed on dishes of salad to excite curiosity, or for
pleasantly surprising the guests at table. Though inoffensive, they are
seldom eaten.

CHAPTER VIII.

OLERACEOUS PLANTS.

Angelica. Anise. Balm. Basil. Borage. Caraway. Clary. Coriander.
Costmary. Cumin. Dill. Fennel. Lavender. Lovage. Marigold. Marjoram.
Nigella. Parsley. Peppermint. Rosemary. Sage. Savory. Spearmint. Tansy.
Thyme.

ANGELICA.

Angelica archangelica.

Angelica is a native of Hungary and Germany, and is also indigenous to
Great Britain. It is a hardy, biennial plant, with a cylindrical,
hollow, herbaceous stem four or five feet high. The radical leaves are
from two to three feet long, compound, or divided in threes,
purplish-red at the base; flowers small, pale-yellow, in large,
terminal, spherical umbels; the seeds are of a yellowish color, oblong,
flattened on one side, convex on the opposite, ribbed, thin, and
membraneous on the borders, and retain their germinative power but a
single season,--nearly six thousand are contained in an ounce.

_Soil and Culture._--The plants thrive best in damp, and even wet,
localities; but may be grown in any good, well-enriched soil. As the
seeds soon lose their vitality, they should be sown in August,
immediately after ripening. Make a small bed, sow the seeds in drills
ten inches apart, and cover three-fourths of an inch deep. In this
seed-bed allow the young plants to remain until the following spring,
when they should be set out two feet asunder in each direction. The
stalks will be fit for use in May and June of the following year. If
the flower-stem is removed as it makes its appearance, the plants will
put forth fresh sprouts from the sides of the root, and survive three
years; but when allowed to blossom, and to perfect their seeds, the
plants soon after perish.

_Use._--Angelica was formerly used, after being blanched, as a salad,
like Celery. In the vicinity of London, it is raised to a considerable
extent for confectioners,--the tender leaf-stalks and flowering-shoots
serving as a basis for sweetmeat. The seeds are sometimes employed for
flavoring liquors.

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