Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 2, 1802).djvu/492

460] H E'R tics, we refer the reader to p. 34 of our fir^t volume. Hkp-tp.ek. See Dog-kose. HtP.li, a name g^ven to all plants, the stalks or stems of which perish every year, after their seeds have attained to maturity. Herbs are usually divided into two classes: 1. Tho-e, the roots of which decay together with the stem ; and 2. Those, whose roots vegetate in the ground for several years. The former class is subdivided into I. .Inuuals, or those plants which arrive at maturity the hi.-*! year, and entirely perish, imme- diately after they have shed their seeds;, such are wheat, rye, bar- ley, kc. 2. Biennials; and 3. Trieftniak ; namely, such as vield fruits andflowersthesecondor third year, and then decay : of this na- ture is the Garden Angelica, and some other plants. Those herbs which do not decay after they have shed their seeds, be'on^ to the latter class, and are called perennials ; some of them lose their verdure, and continue bare during part of the year, such as colt's-foor, kc. while others re- tain their leaves the whole year, ire called evergreens; such arc the holly, fir, &c. hLrtuaous Ptunts are such as are furnished with succulent stems, .iks, creeping along the ground every year. They are divided into similar classes with herbs, ami those which merit more particular notice, are treated of in th: ir al- phabetical -erics. HERBAL (Herbarium), gene- rally speaking, signifies a book, ining a methodical arrange- ment of the: classes, gem I, ■ ■ and varieties of plants, tog' ther with an account of their H E R properties. It is also applied to a hortiis siccus, or dry garden ; an appellation given to a collection of specimens of plants carefully dried and preserved, Among the different methods adopted by botanists, for obtaining a hortus siccus, the following ap- pear to be the most practicable : 1. Lay the plants fiat between papers; then place them between two smooth plates of iron screwed together at the corners : in this state they are to be committed to a baker's oven for two hours. After being taken out, they must be rub- bed over with a mixture consisting of equal parts of brandy and aqua- fortis, then pasted down on paper with a solution of gum-tragacanth in water, after Which they are to be, laid in a book, where they w ill adhere, and retain their original fireshnt s. — Although this process was suggested by Sir R. South- wi;li., in the 237th Number of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, yet the follow- ing method is more simple : 2. Flatten the plant, by passing a common smoothing iron over the papers between which it is placed ; and dry it slowly in a sand-heat. For this purpose, the cold sand ought to be spread evenly, the smoothened plant laid gently on it, fend sand sifted over so as to form a thick bed ; the fire is then to be kindled, and the whole process carefully watched, till the plant is gradually . and perfectly dried — . Thus, the colour of the tenderesfc herb may be preserved, and the most delicate flowers retain all their pristine beauty. 3. Another, and far more com-. plete method, was st;g.< stedby the .otis Mr. WtiATiiLY; and U art a slight resemblance to that La t