With caraway seeds common in every food shop, one wonders why herbalists go to the trouble of growing this biennial plant with its fine thread-like leaves. The only answer is adulteration of commercial sources and the freshness of your own. And adulteration is no figment of the purists, for commercial dealers are warned against "large amounts of stems, gravel, sand, dust, weed seeds, and other impurities."

It is a native of Europe and Asia and much loved by the Germans where its oil is the chief flavoring agent of kummel, one of their favorite liqueurs. And who, as a child, does not cherish fragrant memories of buns, cake, and even bread with plentiful supplies of caraway seeds that were eagerly crunched for the delectable flavor of the oil?

Like several other seeds of the parsley family, caraway seeds are slow to germinate. They should be sown in the spring and allowed to grow all season, but will not bloom nor set seed until the second summer. Generally it prefers a cool climate and hence it is not wise to grow it in the South. During the second summer it will set seed, which should be collected as soon as they have turned brown. Cut the fruiting clusters and dry them thoroughly before picking out the seeds which, after cleaning off bits of stems, leaves, etc., may be kept almost indefinitely in closed containers.

No other part of the plant is of any value except the seeds, and scarcely any cook needs to be reminded of their use in cakes, cookies, cheese by the Dutch, and sauerkraut by the Germans. The plant grows 12-20 inches high and should be spaced about 3 inches apart in the row, which, for the average family need not be over 6 feet long.

Celery (Apium graveolens dulce) Parsley Family (Umbelliferae)

This salad vegetable, as usually grown for its stalks, is an annual that is never allowed to flower or set seed. As such it would have no place in this book, except that it is derived from a true biennial, and, if left alone and well protected over the winter and not blanched, will flower and fruit the second summer. It is better, however, to get special varieties from the seedsman which are most likely to produce seeds than ordinary blanched celery. Unlike most of the herbs, celery requires a deep, rich, and moist soil. Seeds may be sown directly in place, or it is often better to start them in flats or boxes and transplant them so as to be 4-6 inches apart in the row and the rows at least 25 inches apart. During the first winter they should be mulched with straw or light manure.