S"* S. VIII. Dec. 17. '59.) 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



485 



"The writer begins with enumerating the different 

 kinds of fairj'-rings which seem to exist in Europe. Of 

 the six species he takes under notice, the third exclusively 

 makes the subject of his essay. 



"To wit, those rings which in some places appear in 

 the meadows, and are conspicuous b}' the circles of vari- 

 ous diameter according to age, and spreading out more 

 and more every year ; farther distinguished by a cycle 

 of ver3' crowded, luxuriant grass, from some inches to 

 cue foot in width, and apparently spurned by cattle; 

 which rings in spring, in summer, or in autumn, according 

 to their kind, are surrounded by a border of fungi." 



This species of hag- rings is reported to be found 

 in various parts of the Netherlands, but was no- 

 ticed more especially in Friesland by Dr. Wester- 

 hoff: — 



"After having passed the review of all the mediaeval 

 traditions, in their superstitious varieties regarding the 

 different kinds of magical rings — not forgetting that sort 

 which grows in the meadow — the writer proceeds to ex- 

 plain the origin of that we named last. 



"And, in the first instance, he notes down that Lin- 

 naeus [not very poeticall3'!] considered them as occa- 

 sioned bj' ' horses'-water ;' that by others they were said 

 to be the work of ants ; others, again, ascribed them to 

 haj'-cocks, wliich had smothered the grass, or to the 

 effects of lightning, etc., till at last their true nature was 

 found out by Wollaston, viz. that the rings were the con- 

 sequence of fungi. If we may believe the writer, Wol- 

 laston however was not as happy in his explanation of 

 the reason why every year these fungi spread to a wider 

 circle. For he contended that the fungus, once having 

 taken in the centre of the ring, possesses the power to 

 exhaust the soil in such a way that its progeny do not 

 find food enougli in the same spot to be able to flourish 

 there, and thus always go on further away from the site 

 where their progenitors were born, lived and died. 



" Dr. VVesterhoff impugns this theory in a very ample 

 discussion, and at last communicates his view of the sub- 

 ject. He finds the interpretation of the fairj'-rings in the 

 theory promulgated by Professor Brugmans, that the 

 roots of plants not only suck up food, but also secrete un- 

 necessary matters, which sometimes are deleterious to 

 other plants, but more so to those of their own kind, 

 and sometimes, too, again seem to be sought for by other 

 species. 



" The author everywhere gives proof of his having con- 

 sulted an immense mass of writings, but this principally 

 is the case with regard to his aspect of how fairy-rings do 

 originate. He connects it with the alternation of crops 

 (jjruchtwisseling), as, especially in former days, it was held 

 forth by several botanists and others : why, for instance, 

 trefoil may not always be grown on the same soil, or 

 why, after beans, a good harvest of wheat will follow." 



J. H. VAN Lennep. 



Zej'st, near Utrecht. 



NORTHAMPTONSHIRE STORT. 



The following Imes were given me some years 

 ago by an old Northamptonshire lady, who told 

 me she had them from her mother; that they were 

 founded on a fact which had occurred, and that 

 they were within four or five years "before the 

 Pretender went to Derby," or about 1740. They 

 are of a very graphic character, though unfortu- 



nately there is more than one hiatus in the MS. 

 They run thus, and she entitled them 

 " Riding round the Great Oak. 

 " A farm of Parkley's at the Hall 



One Satfield hired ; nor large, nor small : 



'Twas just one hundred pounds a year, 



And reckoned neither cheap nor dear. 



At half year's end he surely went, 



And at the Mansion paid his Rent. 



One day as Rent was tending * down 



'Twas found deficient, just a Crown. 



His head he scratched, his Shoulders shrugged. 



And from his Fob his purse he lugged : 



Turned inside out — thrice shook it well — 



But nothing — nothing — nothing fell. 



When three times told 'twas just the same. 



' So ! here's some blunder of my Dame ; 



She told it fifty, I dare say : 



I met no Gipsj' by the way.' 



Something beside he mumbled «'er; 



Quoth Parkley, 'Teaze yourself no more, 



The Crown I'll promise to forgive. 



If you'll acquaint me how j-ou live, 



Keep a sick wife, and children five. 



And (as the Country has it) thrive : 



Yet never fail your Rent to pay 



Each Michaelmass and Lad}--day — 



My Farm you know is twice the size, 



And snug within itself it lies ; 



It is my own, but I protest 



I scarce can drudge along at best' 



Said Satfield, and he shook his head ; 



'Aye, measter, something might be said — 



But if, and that the truth 1 show — 



Faith, Landlord ! I know what I know.' 



' Then what you know, discover, do, 



And 1 shall know what I know too.' 



' Aye, measter ! but it's sometimes best 



To curb the truth, so give it rest.' 



' Give it rein ! ' ' You'll take it ill.' 



' Call me Tenant, if I will.' 



' Why then — six mornings all together, 



Ere six o'clock, and heed no weather 1 



Round your great Oak, in far-field, ride 



Three Times at least — whatever betide. 



Then home to breakfast — on your life 



The secret trust not, e'en your wife.' 

 "They part; that night upon bis bed, 



Parkley" recalled what Satfield said; 



* What if I rise, and take my Mare,' 

 Thought he ; ' there's health and morning air.' 

 At five he rose, not Madam knew, 



Ere six the hunting gate went through, 

 Saddled his steed himself, and strait 

 Stole slyly through the hunting gate. 

 O'er the first field went, all so fast, 

 But o'er the rest at leisure past. 

 Far-field at length he reached full sad, 

 For 'twas the farthest field he had. 

 The Oak, as bid, rode three times round ; 

 As he returned, new troubles found. 

 His neighbour's fields, for harvest brown — 

 His own — all green, and trodden down — 

 ' I wonder — 'tmust be out by now ; 

 ' I wonder where the team's at plough : 



* The sheep not folded all the night — 

 ' Was ever farm in such a plight ? ' — 

 Arrived at home — his Mare put in — 

 His horses were, some at the Bin, 



Sic. 



