IN Gerarde's quaint old Herbal, published in 1597, we find some amusing descriptions of our well-known plants, together with a table of "virtues," that are, to say the least, interesting reading. As an example, we quote his description of Indian corn and its "virtues," corn being known at that time as "turkey wheate." He says: "Turkey wheate doth nourish far less than either wheate, rie, barly or otes. The bread which is made therof is meanly white; it is hard and dry as bisket is, and hath in it no clamminus at all, and for which cause it is of hard digestion, and yieldeth to the body little or no nourishment. We have as yet no certaine proofe or experience concerning the virtues of this kind of corn, although the barbarous Indians which know no better, are constrained to make a virtue of necessitie, and think it a good foode; whereas we may easily judge that it nour-isheth but little, and is of hard and evil digestion, a more convenient foode for swine than for men".

Of garden radishes he says : "Radish are eaten raw#with bread instead of other foode; but being eaten after that manner, they yield very little nourishment, and that faultie and ill. But for the most part, they are used as a sawce with meats to procure appetite, and in that sort they engender blood less faultie, than eaten alone or with bread onely; but seeing they are of harder digestion, they are also many times troublesome to the stomacke; nevertheless, they serve to distribute and disperse the nourishment, especially taken after meate, and taken before meate, they cause belching, and overthrow the stomacke".

It is very important to know that "the roote stamped with hony and the powder of a sheepe's hart dried, causeth the hair to grow in short space;" also, * * that the roote stamped with darnel and a little white wine vinegar, taketh away all blue and blacke spots, and bruised blemishes of the face".

The virtues of the Lilium Mariagon having not then been discovered, Gerarde says : "There hath not been anything left in writing either of the nature or vertues of these plants; notwithstanding we may deeme that God which gave them such seemly and beautiful shape, hath not left them without their peculiar vertues; the finding out whereof we leave to the learned and industrious searcher of nature".

He cautions us against the use of leeks, saying: "It heateth the bodie, engendreth naughtie blood, causeth troublesome and terrible dreams, offendeth the eies, dulleth the sight, hurteth those that are by nature hot and cholericke, and is noisome to the stomacke".