twenty to thirty. There is of course no need of putting them down]; forty, 40-XL; fifty, 50—L; sixty, 60-LX; seventy, 70 LXX; eighty, 80-LXXX; ninety, 90-XC; one hundred, 100-C [NOTE. Here the first 0, at the right hand, stands in the place of units or ones, and the socond 0 occupies the place of tens, and both together crowd the 1 into the place of hundreds, and there it means one hundred ]; two hundred, 200-CC; three hundred, 300CCC; four hundred, 400-CCCC; five hundred, 500 -D; six hundred, 600-DC; seven hundred, 700— DCC; eight hundred, 800-DCCC; nine hundred, ́ 900-DCCCC; one thousand, 1000-M [NOTE.These three O's crowd the 1 into the place of thousands.]

LESSON 22-XXII.

Symphytum, or Comfrey, as food for men and cattle.

The botanic name of this plant is Symphytum, a word of Greek origin, signifying springing forth in company, which is descriptive of its growth, both root and herb, but not of its nature. It is perennial; but how long I do not exactly know; but, perhaps, till the ground near is filled and choked with roots. It will then die, and afford the ground an abundant and rich manure. It is very hardy and vigorous; never, to my knowledge, injured by frost, drouth, vermin, or insect of course the crop is very sure. Various species of it grow in an uncultivated state in some foreign countries. Of late I have been informed, by good authority, that it is a native of this country, and found wild in various places, on congenial soil, near runs, in unimproved mountains and woody lands; especially

in the vicinity of Williams College, Mass., and in some places in the neighboring States, Vermont, and New York. The green leaves are often used as potherbs. It is found in many New England gardens by single root, and used much in syrups, to nourish the feeble, and parry off consumptions. The liquor, produced by boiling the dried leaves, is of a dark color, moderately tonic, restringent and exhilarating, much like the black tea, but more nutritious; of course, a very good substitute for people who will still use hot and exciting drinks. The root, cleaned, broken, dried, and ground in a coffee or corn mill, is very mucila ginous and nutricious much resembling slippery-elm, oat-meal, arrow-root, and sago. It has much the ap pearance in various respects of good, light-colored rye meal, and is peculiarly easy of digestion. A lady who could keep no ather food on her stomach was sustained three months on pudding of Comfrey flour, made by pounding the dried roots in a mortar. Another, whose voice failed by disease, had it soon restored by the green root cut and simmered with molasses. Many years ago, I began to chew the root for cough and the good of my lungs, in my much public speaking, during the cold winters in the mountainous regions of New Hampshire. 1 pounded some fine, for porridge, and liked it well. Afterwards, at two different times, I had 4 lbs. ground at a corn mill, to use with other flour or meal in gruel for family colds, coughs, and bowel complaints; and to give to neighbors for vari ous diseases, especially of the lungs and bowels. As food, it operates slowly but powerfully against the more common chronic complaints. It makes a very comforting and healing poultice for external bruises, wounds, and sores. It is my belief that, if used freely with other articles of diet, it would have a strong

tendency to prevent, not only coughs, consumptions, dyspepsy, diarrhea, and costiveness; but also rheum. atism, cramp, contractions of the muscles, sinews, and cartilages; and also many of the sore and destructive consequences of using ardent spirits, tight lacing, hot drinks, over-eating, over-working, &c., and many other means of self-destruction, practiced by many people. Should the taste at first be in any way unpleasant to any, like almost any kind of new food, then let a trifle of some pleasant condiment, slightly vary. ing the taste, be intermixed, till by use it shall itself become pleasant, as it did to myself. It is very easily cooked, requiring very little scalding or baking. I often put a spoonful or two into my dish of milk, and liked it well, with no other cooking. People may cook this as they do other kinds of food, according to convenience or fancy. I would recommend to use about one-fourth part of comfrey meal, with three-fourths of wheat, indian, barley, or buckwheat, for bread, pastry, wafers, or dough-nuts, and a larger portion for gruel or porridge, or soups, or griddles, or puddings; but not with rye. With the other ingredients you may use it for custards instead of eggs, probably to great advantage. What portion is soluble and nutritious matter I have not ascertained, but think it about equal to that of rice, which is said to be ninety per cent. I would now, for mixing with my own food, gladly exchange two pounds of good wheat flour for one of comfrey meal. It has not, to my knowledge, been cultivated as common aliment for man or beast, till done by myself. But it will probably yet prove one of the best and cheapest articles of healthful diet now known; not outdone by the potato or Indian corn. It would be well for any who have ground to go considerably into the cultivation of it, for experiment and profit, by root

and herb, and to keep on hand some of the root, hay, and meal, to show as specimens. Any arable soil, especially that rather moist and warm, will produce a crop according to its strength. Its blossoms afford excellent stock for honey. Its top seed is not abundant, and is gathered but slowly. It will produce a good or full crop much sooner by the caps of the roots, cut or broken from one to two inches below the place whence the tops proceed, planted about even with the surface of the ground, about 10 inches apart, than by the na. tural seed. I think the best time to dig and replant is about the time of early plowing, in spring; that the said root-seed might be well preserved through the winter in a cellar, for planting in spring; and that by properly dividing the said caps, and by strict economy, double the quantity of ground dug over may be replanted by the seed produced. You may dig annually but the roots will be small, and the tops light. It takes two or three years for the ground to be well filled with roots. Which of these terms would be the most economical, and whether cutting the tops for hay, has any effect on the growth of the root, I have not yet ascertained. I have quit tilling the soil altogether. I cannot therefore give results of late experiments of my own, nor supply others with seed, as requested. What are its qualities for fattening domestic animals, whether by herb, green or dry; or by root, green or dried, and ground, I know not; but presume good.-Wash the roots well soon after dug, break them shortish, spread them thin under cover, and without farther attention and without injury, it will become dry enough to be ground in a coffee or corn mill. If you find difficulty in drying the tops, or any other herbage. for hay, without wetting or crumbling, heating or rotting; then, after drying by sun as much as convenient, put

such herbage, whether comfrey, turnip, beet or cab bage leaves, or potato tops, or clover, or weeds, or any other succulent herbs, into small piles or stacks of 40 to 100 lbs. each, according to the then stage of drying; and, if occasion require, before stowing it in the barn, pitch it over lightly, each into another, putting top for bottom, and then let them remain out till sufficiently dry for preservation.

If I have erred in any thing in relation to this arti cle, I wish to be corrected by any candid and faithful physician, chemist, or dietetic philosopher; for I would not deceive any on the subject.

I will now state some facts with regard to the pro. duction of symphytum, root and herb.-April, 1841, I dug from 18 square feet of ground of moderately good tilth or heart, besides the said seed-caps, one large bushel of green root of two years' growth. In this proportion an acre would yield 2,420 bushels. This, when washed, dried, and ground, weighed 10 lbs.; which would be 24,200 lbs. the acre. About 8 lbs. of the meal I used the following winter, in my own food, and was by no means glad when it was gone. As to the herb for hay: at two cuttings on 15 square feet of soil, in 1842, the second year from planting, July 15th and September 1st, 1 obtained four pounds of good, well-dried hay, better, I think, than good clover; which would be 5 tons and 1616 lbs. the acre. It is, I think, after the roots become considerable in the ground, capable of producing larger crops of hay than this. But let others try it for themselves,root and herb; and tell the world the results, as I have done.

Comfrey needs no tilling except the digging of the root and re-planting the said seed-caps for another