Licorice

Glycyrrhiza glabra.

Licorice is a hardy, perennial plant. The roots are fleshy, creeping, and, when undisturbed, attain a great length, and penetrate far into the earth; the stem is herbaceous, dull-green, and about four feet high; leaves pinnate, composed of four or five pairs of oval leaflets; flowers pale-blue, in terminal spikes. The fruit consists of short, flattened pods, each containing two or three kidney-shaped seeds.

Soil, Propagation, and Culture.—"Licorice succeeds best in deep, rich, rather sandy, or in alluvial soil. The ground should be well enriched the year previous to planting: and it should either be trenched three feet deep in autumn, laid in ridges, and allowed to remain in that state till spring; or it may be trenched immediately before planting. The former method is the preferable one.

"Licorice is propagated by portions of the creeping stem (commonly termed 'the creeping root'), from four to six inches in length, each having two or three buds. These are planted in March or April, or as soon as the ground can be well worked, in rows three feet apart, and eighteen inches from each other in the rows; covering with earth to the depth of two or three inches. Every year, late in autumn, when the sap has gone down and the leaves have turned yellow, the old stems should be cut down with a pruning-knife to a level with the ground. At this time, also, the creeping stems are forked up, cut off close to the main stems, and preserved in sand, or in heaps covered with straw and earth, for future plantations. The roots will be ready for taking up three years after planting. This should be done towards winter, after the descent of the sap. A trench three feet must then be thrown out, and the roots extracted; after which, they may be stored in sand for use."—Thomp.

Use.—The roots are the parts of the plant used, and these are extensively employed by porter-brewers. "The sweet, mucilaginous juice extracted from the roots by boiling is much esteemed as an emollient in colds."