20 Dn PULTENEY' Obfervations, Gc. 
-The cows I faw were apparently not in à mean condition, and 
gave a fufficient quantity of good milk.: I was told by the perfon 
whofe cattle were feeding on it, that he kept five cows and one horfe 
— 4o entirely by this plant, and what the heath afforded, that they 
— "had not: confumed more than half a ton of hay throughout the 
whole year ; none being uféd, except when thé river is frozen over. 
. Dexamined the whole parcel; on which four cows were feeding, in | 
the beginning of March; and found the whole confifted, exclufively, 
of the Ranunculus fluviatilis, without. any mixture of the Potamo- 
etoh,- Carex, Sparganium, or other aquatic plants. In Summer, 
however, it can fcarcely be.avoided but that there muft be a mix- 
— of fome of thefe: but other plants are not chofen. 
“This account was confirmed to me by different perfons ; by whom 
* was further informed, that hogs are alfo fed with the fame plant, 
. n whic | they improve fo well, that it is ‘not nece lary to. allow 
_ them other faftenaricey till it is proper to put them. up to fatten. - 
‘This relation, while it fhews how carefully experiments fhould 
"be condwéted before a decifive. judgment on the powers.of any- re- 
putedly poifonous vegetable'can be formed, may induce füch as 
were manned ulated, with this fact, to ae the ule of this plant in 
dumauar ns, fince it i f the moft freq ny rivers 
3 ; kingdom. The: een of it to. thefe ! 
pecie ien a fecoluliis good, of: tending to clear the: ference 
| of eens is otherwife confidered as a noxious. weed; fince, by its 
dance in Summer, it is frequently feen to choke up the rivers - 
more: than any other plant, and, -from flight falls of rainy. con- 
: pus much to the ov on ne of mentors i in hay-time, morem 
IV. 0j 
