RUBUS. — POTENTILLA. 71 



together the straw ; and they are very suitable from their length, 

 flexibility, and toughness. 



These critical Rubi are rare in our elevated muir districts : they 

 scarcely occur in the Lammermuirs, however plentiful on the out- 

 skirts; and the Rasp only ascends into the ravines and wooded deans. 

 They seem also to be sparingly distributed in the How-of-the-Merse. 

 Otherwise they are common enough, and ornamental in hedges, where 

 they are the successors of the Roses, and wherein they aid the thorn 

 in its office. So far they are useful, — no further. To argue, as 

 Benjamin Stillingfleet does, in the following passage, may seem good 

 in the eyes of an amiable coterie, but it is to put natural theology to 

 the blush. "Besides," says the good philanthropist, "it is a rare 

 thing to see fences without brambles ; they seem stationed there by 

 Providence, to shew for what purpose they were intended. They 

 bear fruit that is pleasing enovxgh to draw the country people and 

 children, who are not used to delicacies, to eat them : and, as if that 

 were not sufficient to raise our attention, they are continually catching 

 those who approach too near by their clothes, goading them in the 

 flesh, and even laying snares for their feet if neglected, in short, doing 

 every thing to shew their end, all but saying, ' Do you not see we 

 were made to fence your ground ? ' Surely all these circumstances 

 should be sufficient to rouse us, and make us consider whether they 

 might not be turned to this use. Yet hitherto they have been neg- 

 lected ; and only looked upon as a curse upon the ground, as they 

 are called in Scripture : and so they are to those who do not love to 

 labour for themselves, according to the original curse pronounced 

 upon man : ' In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread.' " Select 

 Works, ii. p. 616. 



180. R. sAXATiLis. B. Lees' -cleugh, a wooded ravine near 

 Langton-lees' farm-house, plentiful. Rev. Thos. Brown. In Black- 

 burnrigg dean intermingled with our R. plicatus ; and sparingly in 

 Bushiel dean, J. Hardy. — N. On Cheviot in Dunsdale, and above 

 Langley-ford. Aug. 



181. R. CHAM^MORTJS. Grows in profusion on the higher parts 

 of Cheviot and of Hedge-hope. It flowers in June. The fruit ripens 

 in autumn and is called JioopiS, Buot or l^itout^^bnTU. 



182. Fragaria vesca. W^ilO ^tratobnTU. On the smmy side 

 of deans, in open spots in plantations, and at hedge bottoms in many 

 places . — May- June. 



183. Comarum palustre. Sphagnous bogs and marshy places 

 in moors, frequent. June- July. 



184. PoTENTiLLA anserina. ^ilbnviucct( : (§oo!Sc;j(s;ifl^£i: dTatr* 

 tlaiJiS, probably because it expands its bright flowers only in clear 

 weather and in sunshine. — Common on road-sides and in poor pastures, 

 flowering throughout the summer. The flower has a sweet smell, 

 while that of P. reptans, otherwise so alike, is scentless. The leaves 

 are beautiful at all seasons, but, as I think, most so in the later autumn. 



