THE MAGIC OF HERBS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 340, 28 April 1928, Page 30

THE MAGIC OF HERBS

It is difficult to imagine that at one time vegetables occupied little or no space in the garden and further back still, both flowers and vegetables were non-existent and the herb garden reigned supreme. Six centuries ago England was all herb gardens containing roses, lilies, lavender, violets, rosemary, poppies, marigolds, etc. All these were used as herbs. Our ancestors ate such big quantities of meat that little time was spent on growing vegetables. All that was required was plenty of herbs for stuffings, flavourings, perfumes and medicines. Even potatoes were not introduced into England until Elizabeth’s reign, and certainly were not eaten by the working class until about 200 years later. Of artichokes we knew nothing until instructed by the Red Indians. They were introduced in the Old Country in the Tudor days and so the kitchen garden, as we know it, is quite modern. There are thousands of herbs treated by us daily as weeds. Indeed such varieties as docks, dandelions, thistle and chickweed are extensively grown in some countries for the medicinal properties they contain, and approximately £2,000,000 sterling is spent in importing these various species. It is not my intention to deal with any species that are not already known to us. Aniseed: A native of Egypt cultivated largely in Spain for its seeds, which are used in confectionery and making drinks. In the 14th century the Romans first introduced it into their cakes and a tea was made by pouring half a pint of boiling water on two teaspoonfuls of bruised seed. The Sage or Salvia is renowned for its wonderful health-giving properties. The very name, Salvia, means life, and the Arabians have a proverb; “How can a man die who has sage in his garden.” The Chinese valued this herb so greatly that the old Dutch traders exchanged lib. of dried sage leaves for 31b. of China tea. People have been known to live 100 years by using sage daily. It is well known of an old sexton who buried two generation of'people In the one village and his great age was attributed to his sleeping on and eating sage. We are all familiar with mint, but how it got its name, and w-here it comes from, few can tell. There are three main species—Spearmint, Peppermint and Pennyroyal. Mint takes its name from Minthe, a nymph who was loved by Pluto. This nymph was transformed by Pluto’s wife, with the herb named after her. Herbalists recommend this herb to any person living on a milk diet as mint possesses a quality which prevents milk from curdling. In the early days it was said to turn sour mils: sweet and was often used for scenting baths.