NATURAL HISTORY OF SUNN1NGH1LL. 247 



upon the rising mounds of turf, sometimes in the very edge of the Heath, 

 the Wild Thyme, {Thymus serpyllum,) sheds a sweet perfume upon the 

 evening air. 



It would he useless to enumerate all the common flowers of the wild, 

 which, in common with all heathy districts, are found here; however, the 

 true Forget-me-not, (Myosotis palustris,) is rare, though growing in plenty 

 within two miles ; and we have no Dew-herries, about which such a dis- 

 cussion some years ago was raised, with reference to the mention of it 

 made by Shakespeare in the Midsummer Night's Dream; they were, 

 however, found by one who knew the plant, at Stratford, and I have 

 often gathered them in Essex, with the Dew, or bloom on them. The 

 Ferns I shall give a list of hereafter. We have a great variety of these, 

 more than is usually found in one district. The Equisetum also is not 

 uncommon, and grows in great plenty on the slope from a farm called 

 "Bell Vue," towards the east. 



There can be no doubt that a light sandy soil, where it is not too 

 poor, is much sooner brought into cultivation, and made, to bear decent 

 crops, than strong loam or clay, which receives all for so many years and 

 gives back nothing; but no one can doubt the ultimate advantage of 

 strong land, for when it does return it is a sign that it is to a certain 

 extent made; whereas the sand acts as a filter, and all the rich moisture 

 that is bestowed upon it sinks far below the reach of those vegetables 

 for whose benefit it was put in. It is, therefore, by a happy union of 

 the two that the best effect is produced in a moderate time. Now most 

 of the gardens about us are formed in this manner; and lime is also 

 found to work particularly well, or chalk, upon grass lands. There are 

 many flowers which we grow in the richest luxuriance that make no ap- 

 pearance in clays. Thus Geraniums, particularly the Horse-shoe, (Pelar- 

 gonium zonale,) attain the largest size, and grow, in fact, so much to 

 wood, that it is impossible, without large conservatories to preserve them 

 through the winter, by reason of want of room to accommodate them. 

 The Scarlet, sometimes called the Bath Scarlet, (P. inquinans,) which is 

 of a dazzling brilliancy of colour, also grows well. The Eose Geraniums, 

 (P. graveolens, P. capitatum, and also the Tricolor,) thrive perfectly, 

 shewing a great congeniality of soil so far as they are concerned. Of 

 course we have the Herb Bobert, (Geranium Eobertianum,) and the Mea- 

 dow Crane's-bill, (G. pratense;) and it is singular to observe how much 

 resemblance there is between this flower, when its coloured leaves are shed, 

 to the head of a crane or stork. 



Fuchsias also are cultivated with great success; and, as we all know, 

 Mr. Standish, whose gardens lie on the verge of the parish, has imported 

 numbers of new species with great success, amongst which the F. corym- 



