COMPOUND FLOWERS. 215

his meadows, the tall and branching ragwort, ané
blue succory, cumber his pastures ; and wild chamomile,
ox-eye, and corn marigold, choke up his corn-fields.
hese plants, in general, have a bitter, nauseous taste,
so that no cattle will touch them. Daisies, I believe,
are the chief exception.

G. But some of them, I suppose, are useful to
pian P

7. Yes, several, and in various ways. Some that
have milky, bitter juices are employed in medicine, for
purifying the blood and removing obstructions. Of
these are dandelion, succory, and sowthistle. Many
other sare bitter, and strongly aromatic; as chamomile,
wormwood, southernwood, feverfew, and tansy ; these
are good for strengthening the stomach, and expelling
worms. That capital ingredient in salad, lettuce, is of
this class, and so is endive. Artichoke forms a very
singular article of diet, for the part chiefly eaten, called
the bottom, is the receptacle of the flower, upon which
the choke, or seeds with their feathers, is placed. It
is said that some of the larger species of thistles may
be dressed and eaten the same way. Then there is
Jerusalem artichoke, which is the root of a species of
sunflower, and, when boiled, much resembles in taste
an artichoke bottom. On the whole, however, a very
small proportion of this class of plants 1s used in food.

G. Are there no garden flowers belonging to them ?

T. Several, especially of the autumnal ones. There
are sunflowers of various kinds, which are the largest
Howers the garden produces, though not the most
sicghtly ; marigolds, both the common, and the French
und African; asters, china-asters, golden-rod, and
chrysanthemums. Very few flowers of this class have
an agreeable scent, and their shape is not the most
pleasing; but they have often gay colours, and make
a figure in the garden when other things are over.
Well—this is most that I recollect worth noticing of
the compound-flowered plants. They are a difficult
class to make out botanically, though pretty easily