1896.] DaviES. — Notes on some Casuals in County Antrim. 311 



distance it was hardly distinguishable, but from its over- 

 topping the surrounding growth my attention was specially 

 attracted. A gentleman, one of the owners of the land, who 

 was present on the occasion, when asked how it came to be 

 planted there replied, " Planted ? Oh, no ! it was not planted ; 

 it grows wild here." A Yorkshire botanist, Mr. William 

 Foggitt, an old and valued friend, and one of my most 

 frequent companions on botanical excursions so far back as 

 the early fifties, in sending me a short time ago a collection 

 of British casuals, sent also some dried specimens of this 

 Polygonimi as a plant, which, on account of its alleged 

 economic value, w^as claiming the attention of North of 

 England agriculturists. It would appear that the species was 

 first brought into England, under the name of Sachalin, in 

 1869, as a forage plant. It was said that it 3delds from eighty 

 to one hundred and twenty tons of green fodder to the acre, 

 and that horses are especially fond of it. Mr. Foggitt informs 

 me also that it was stated in the newspapers that the farmers 

 of Wensleydale, in Yorkshire, were planting it on the bare 

 oozy hillsides where no serviceable herbage will grow, but so 

 far he is without information as to the result of the experiment. 

 Its beauty seems to have recommended it to horticulturists, 

 and it is now to be seen in many gardens in Yorkshire. 

 A magnificent bushy plant, attaining a height of from eight 

 to ten feet, with long branched racemes of delicate greenish- 

 yellcw flowers, springing from the axil of nearly every leaf, it 

 is not to be wondered that it should be prized as an additional 

 ornament for borders and shubberies. On noticing the plaat 

 at lyisburn, the dried specimens received from my friend were 

 at once brought to mind, and on comparison they were found 

 to be identical. The most probable explanation of the occur- 

 rence of the Sachalin here, seems to be that the seeds may 

 have been brought by the lighters w^hich carry, from Belfast 

 to Lisburn, coal that has been shipped in the North of 

 England ; and that they have thus found their way to the 

 ground near the canal dock which has been mentioned. 



PivANTAGO MEDIA, lyiuu. — Several plants in a lawn near 

 Lisburn. The grass of the lawn being usually kept closely 

 shorn, there is little chance of the plant spreading from seed, 

 and indeed I have only once seen it in flower at this place, 

 but the leaves, lying flat on the ground, as is their habit, for 



