A small-fruited annual species, called Cherry-pepper, (Capsicum cerasiforme, Hort. Kew.) is sometimes raised ; and occasionally the true Bell-pepper (C. gros, um, L.) is cultivated. This last is a biennial species, of humble growth, but producing large berries. These are better for pickling than the others, the skin being pulpy and tender; while in the others it is thin and tough. This biennial species must of course have a place in the stove: Caper.
405. The Caper-bush (Capparis spinosa, L.; Polyandria Monogynia ; Capparides, Juss.), though common in the south of Franc•, and growing in the open air even at Pa ris, seldom withstands our winters, even though placed in the most sheltered situation. Trained, however, against any spare piece of wall in a stove, it grows luxuriantly, and produces its flower-buds freely. Sometimes it effec tually establishes itself in crevices of old hot-house walls, this sort of situation resembling its native one. The use of the flower-buds for pickling is familiar. Perhaps a hardier variety might be obtained by repeatedly raising it front the seed, at first in Guernsey or Jersey, and thus gra dually inuring the progeny to cold. It may be mentioned, that in the garden at Campden House, Kensington, a caper-tree stood alive in the open air for near a century. It had a south-east aspect, and was well sheltered from the north. It had no covering, and was generally much in jtircd by the frost luting winter ; but it made strong shoots, and produced flower-buds every year.
A species of spurge CO111111011 in our gardens (Euphor bia Luthyris, L.) is vulgarly called Caper-bush, from the resemblance of its fruit to capers; but it is acrid, like the other spurges. The flower-buds of marsh-marigold (Cal tha Palustris, L.) form a safe substitute for capers ; and likewise the young seed-pods of the common radish.
Rhubarb.
406. Of Rhubarb (Rheum, L.; Enneandria Trigynia ; Polygonex, Juss.) two species are commonly cultivated.
Rheum rhaponticum, L. with the leaves blunt and smooth, veins somewhat hairy underneath, petioles grooved above, and rounded at the edge. This is the species most com monly cultivated in the kitchen garden for the footstalks of the leaves, which are peeled, cut down, and formed into tarts, in the manner of apples. They are best when young and succulent, in April and the early part of May.
Rheum palmatum, L. with leaves palmate, acuminate, somewhat yugged, petioles obscurely grooved above, and rounded at the edge. This has by many been considered
as the officinal species, and its cultivation has been greatly promoted by the Society for the Encouragement of Arts. In the Transactions of that Society may be found accounts of the different modes which have been followed in this country in cultivating the plant and drying its root for use; or a very distinct abstract of these accounts may be seen in the last edition of Miller's Dictionary, art. Rheum. There is still, however, a degree of uncertainty concern ing the species which yields the true Turkey or Russian Rhubarb ; and the Edinburgh Faculty, in their Pharmaco poeia, therefore adopt the popular name of Rheum Rus sicum. The probability is, that the roots of several spe cies are used. In many places the leaf-stalks of this spe cies are employed in making tarts, and when young are scarcely inferior to the other. A few plants are commonly kept in gardens for curiosity. They are highly ornamental, and particularly remarkable for the rapidity of their growth, rising to the height of perhaps nine or ten feet in seven weeks, and sometimes growing five or six inches within twenty-four hours.
Sweet herbs, and ..Medicinal Plants.
Thyme.
407. Thyme (Thymus vulgaris, L. ; Didynamia Gymnos ticrinia ; Labiate or Verticillatx) is a perennial plant, in digenous to Spain. It has been cultivated in our gardens, from the earliest times. It is a larger and more woody plant than our native species, T. Serpyllus, but the flowers are smaller. Sprigs of thyme are used for giving flavour to soups. There arc several varieties, particularly the broad leaved or green thyme, and the narrow-leaved thyme. The plant is propagated either. by parting the roots or planting slips in the spring, or by sowing the seed at the same season. It grows best on light dry soil, which has not been recently manured. A very small bed of the green thyme is enough for kitchen use. Sometimes it is planted as an edging to a border, in which case it must be cut close. It is often admitted to the flower.garden, and va rieties with variegated leaves are to be met with. If the plants be allowed to ripen their seeds, numbers of seed lings will appear the following year, when they may he transplanted. In autumn, some of the bushes of thyme are cut over, and hung lip surrounded with paper, to dry for winter use.