Page:The family kitchen gardener - containing plain and accurate descriptions of all the different species and varieties of culinary vegetables (IA familykitchengar56buis).pdf/131

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THYME—TOMATO.
125

Culture.—It is propagated by parting the roots in Spring and planting them in a light, rich soil, one foot apart, but free from dung that is not thoroughly decomposed. Six plants will supply a family. Cover them in severe Winters with rough litter, or a few branches and leaves. If they are planted in moist soil, heavy and continued frosts will destroy their roots; they delight in a warm, dry situation.


THYME.

Thymus vulgàris.—Thym, Fr.—Thimian, Ger.

The common garden Thyme is a low, evergreen, procumbent shrub. It is a native of England, Spain and Greece. It has an agreeable aromatic smell, and a warm, pungent taste. Its culinary use is principally for soups and seasoning of every description.

Culture.—A few bushes of this plant is all that is necessary for a family. They can be procured by the slip or division of the root, or from seeds; the latter are very small, and should be sown in moist weather, on a spot of fine soil; cover the seed very lightly and press it with the back of the spade. A spot of ground one foot square is sufficient. Thyme that is intended for Winter use should be cut when just coming into bloom, tied up in bundles, dried in the shade, and put away in paper.


TOMATO.

Solànum Lycopèrsicum.—Tomate, Fr.—Liebes Apfel, Ger.

In taking a retrospect of the past eighteen years, there is no vegetable on the catalogue that has obtained such popularity in so short a period as the one now under consideration. In