Plants in the Civil War

Judith Sumner is a botanist and author with particular interest in the historical uses of plants. She is a frequent lecturer for audiences of all kinds and has taught for many years at colleges and botanical gardens. She lives in Worcester, Massachusetts.

• Table of ContentsPreface1. The Botanical Roots of SlaveryColonial Origins 3; Enslaved Life 5; Economy and Natural History 7; Popular Culture 102. Plantation LandscapesLand and Trees 12; Asian Imports 17; Hedges 21; Brush Arbors 24; Wartime Landscapes 253. Agriculture and CropsNorth and South 26; Soils, Nutrients, and Cultivation 30; Guano 34; Cash Crops 36; ­Self-Sufficiency 434. Foods and DietCrops and Cookery 49; Fruits and Sweets 52; Grains and Bread 56; Food Preservation 58; Military Rations 61; Whiskey, Wine, and Beer 68; African Crops and Diets 71; Survival 765. Medicinal Botany and Medical PracticeAntebellum Practices 79; Southern Strategies 82; Confederate Medicinal Flora 84; Malaria, Miasma, Feverbark, and Quinine 90; Soldiers’ Medicine 94; Slavery and Medicine 986. Gardens and HorticulturePlantation Gardens 103; Botanical Origins 106; Home Gardens and Floral Culture 112; Indoor Gardens and Parlor Botany 116; Gardens and Slavery 120; Botanical Studies 1237. Fibers and DyesKing Cotton and Culture 126; Cotton Gins 130; Bast and Leaf Fibers 132; Textiles, Clothing, and Uniforms 135; Military Needs 137; Silk 140; Paper 142; Dyestuffs and Pigments 1448. Timber and WoodThe Timbered Landscape 147; Farms and Homesteads 149; Military Needs 154; Timber Products and Naval Stores 158; Military Engineering and Construction 161; Loss and Gain 165AfterwordChapter NotesBibliographyIndex

“An inherently fascinating and impressively informative read…extraordinary…unreservedly recommended”—Midwest Book Review