DILL (Anethum or Peucedanum graveolens)  , a member of the natural botanical order Umbelliferae, indigenous to the south of Europe, Egypt and the Cape of Good Hope . It resembles fennel in appearance . Its root is long and fusiform; the stem is round, jointed and about a yard high; the leaves have fragrant leaflets; and the fruits are brown, oval and concavo-convex . The plant flowers from June till August in England . The seeds are sown, preferably as soon as ripe, either broad-cast or in drills between 6 and 12 in. asunder . The young plants should be thinned when 3 or 4 weeks old, so as to be at distances of about to in . A sheltered spot and dry soil are needed for the production of the seed in the climate of England . The leaves of the dill are used in soups and sauces, and, as well as the umbels, for flavouring pickles . The seeds are employed for the preparation of dill-water and oil of dill; they are largely consumed in the manufacture of gin, and, when ground, are eaten in the East as a condiment . The British Pharmacopoeia contains the Aqua Anethi or dill-water (dose 1-2 oz.), and the Oleum Anethi, almost identical in composition with caraway oil, and given in doses of 2-3 minims . Dill-water is largely used as a carminative for children, and as a vehicle for the exhibition of nauseous drugs .