rcially for its oil, a thin, light yellow or greenish liquid, with
the concentrated odor of marjoram and peppermint. It has a warm, and
slightly bitter taste. About 200 pounds of stems and leaves are needed
to get a pound of oil. Some distillation is done in England, where 70
pounds of the plant yield about one ounce of oil. This oil is used for
perfuming toilet articles, especially soap, but is perhaps less popular
than the essential oil of thyme.

=Mint= (_Mentha viridis_, Linn.)--Spearmint, a member of the Labiatae, is a
very hardy perennial, native to Mediterranean countries. Its generic
name is derived from the mythological origin ascribed to it. Poets
declared that Proserpine became jealous of Cocytus's daughter, Minthe,
whom she transformed into the plant. The specific name means green,
hence the common name, green mint, often applied to it. The old Jewish
law did not require that tithes of "mint, anise and cumin" should be
paid in to the treasury, but the Pharisees paid them while omitting the
weightier matters, justice, mercy, and faith (Matthew xxiii, 23). From
this and many other references in old writings it is evident that mint
has been highly esteemed for many centuries. In the seventeenth century
John Gerarde wrote concerning it that "the smelle rejoyceth the heart of
man." Indeed, it has been so universally esteemed that it is found wild
in nearly all countries to which civilization has extended. It has been
known as an escape from American gardens for about 200 years, and is
sometimes troublesome as a weed in moist soil.

[Illustration: Mint, Best Friend of Roast Lamb]

_Description._--From creeping rootstocks erect square stems rise to a
height of about 2 feet, and near their summits bear spreading branches
with very short-stemmed, acute-pointed, lance-shaped, wrinkled leaves
with toothed edges, and cylindrical spikes of small pink or lilac
flowers, followed by very few, roundish, minute, brown seeds.

_Cultivation._--The plant may be easily propagated by means of cuttings,
offsets and division in spring. They may be expected to yield somewhat
of a crop the first season, but much more the second. In field culture
they will continue profitable for several years, provided that each
autumn the tops are cut off near the ground and a liberal dressing of
manure, compost or even rich soil is given. In ordinary garden practice
it is well also to observe this plan, but usually mint is there allowed
to shift