272 THE STORY OF PLANT LIFE 



The berry is a drupe, which is largely dispersed by 

 thrushes. 



In the days of Homer the fruit was a food for 

 swine. Spear shafts and bows were fashioned out of 

 the wood. The Dogwood is a good hedge shrub and 

 much planted. The wood, being very hard, was 

 formerly used for cog-wheels, also for butchers' 

 skewers (hence Prickwood) and ram-rods. The 

 charcoal yields the best gunpowder. 



Oil is contained in the berries and soap was 

 formerly manufactured from them. 



The following names have been applied to 

 Cornel : Bloody Twig, Catteridge-tree, Cat-tree, 

 Cornel, Female or Wild Cornel, Corne-tree, Dog- 

 berry, Dog-cherry, Dog-Timber, Dog's-berry Tree, 

 Dog-tree, Dogwood, Female Cornel Tree, Gadrise, 

 Gaiter-tree, Gaitre-berries, Gaten-tree, Gatten- 

 tree, Gatter Bush, Gatteridge, Houndberry 

 Tree, Hound's Tree, Prick Timber, Prick Tree, 

 Prickwood, Skewer-wood, Skiver-wood, Widbin. 

 Some of these refer to the use of the twigs as 

 skewers, etc., as in the case of Spindle tree, some of 

 the names referring to both trees. 



There was a superstition that if the sap of Dog- 

 wood was absorbed in a handkerchief on St. John's 

 night it would secure the fulfilment of every wish. 



CoRNUS SANGUINEA. — In Fig. 58 note the charac- 

 teristic leaves, the deeply-veined upper surface of the leaf, 

 the flowers in different stages, some with anthers and 

 stigma projecting, others with the stigma only. 



