490.  Charlock.  Sinapis arvensis.—­The young plant is eaten in the spring as turnep-tops, and is considered not inferior to that vegetable.  The seeds of this have sometimes been saved and sold for feeding birds instead of rape; but being hot in its nature, it has been known to cause them to be diseased.

491.  Chickweed. Alsine media.—­This is a remarkably good herb boiled in the spring; a circumstance not sufficiently attended to.

492.  Cloud-berry.  Rubus Chamaemorus.—­This plant grows wild in some parts of the north of England:  the fruit has nearly the shape of the currant, and is reckoned in Norway, where it grows abundantly, a favourite dish.

493.  Cotton-thistle.  Onopordon Acanthium.—­The tender stalks of this plant, peeled and boiled, are by some considered good; but it has a peculiar taste which is not agreeable to all.

Bryant in his Flora Diaetetica says that the bottoms of the flowers are eaten as artichokes.

494.  Cow-Parsnep.  Heracleum Sphondylium.—­The inhabitants of Kamschatka about the beginning of July collect the foot-stalks of the radical leaves of this plant, and, after peeling off the rind, dry them separately in the sun; and then tying them in bundles, they lay them up carefully in the shade.  In a short time afterwards, these dried stalks are covered over with a yellow saccharine efflorescence tasting like liquorice, and in this state they are eaten as a delicacy.

The Russians, not content with eating the stalks thus prepared, contrive to get a very intoxicating spirit from them, by first fermenting them in water with the greater bilberry (Vaccinium uliginosum), and then distilling the liquor to what degree of strength they please; which Gmelin says is more agreeable to the taste than spirits made from corn.  This may, therefore, prove a good succedaneum for whisky, and prevent the consumption of much barley, which ought to be applied to better purposes.  Swine and rabbits are very fond of this plant.—–­Lightfoot’s Fl.  Scot.

495.  Dandelion.  Leontodum Taraxacum.—­This is a good salad when blanched in the spring.  The French, who eat more vegetables than our country people do, use this in the spring as a common dish:  it is similar to endive in taste.

496.  Dewberry.  Rubus caesius.—­The dewberry is very apt to be mistaken for the blackberry; but it may be easily distinguished by its fruit being not so large, and being covered with blue bloom similar to that seen on plums:  it has a very pleasant taste, and is said to communicate a grateful flavour to red wine when steeped in it.

497.  Earth-nut.  Bunium Bulbocastanum.—­The roots are eaten raw, and considered a delicacy here, but thought much more of in Sweden, where they are an article of trade:  they are eaten also stewed as chesnuts.

498.  Elder.  Sambucus nigra.—­The young shoots of elder are boiled with other herbs in the spring and eaten; they are also very good pickled in vinegar.  Lightfoot says, in some countries they dye cloth of a brown colour with them.