Proceedings of the 



more accurately by the cultivation of corn. So amongst plants, 

 we find the groundsel, chickweed, shepherd's purse, Veronica agrestis, 

 V. hedersefolia, V. Buxbaumii, Euphorbia Peplus, and others which may be 

 almost regarded as domestic plants. Where man has broken up the soil in 

 gardens or fields, these and other weeds at once establish themselves. 

 Whore man utterly neglects the soil these weeds may linger, but their 

 abundant growth and rapid spread is quickly checked by a set of perennial 

 plants, whose more vigorous roots by degrees obtain the monopoly of the 

 soil. Thus the gi-owth of population very seriously affects the flora of the 

 neighbourhood. It is impossible to prove in the case of most plants 

 whether they are en the increase or on the decrease. The number of 

 individual specimens, in the case of annuals at least, will vary vastly ' 

 according to the dryness or wetness, the cold or the heat of the season. 

 That certain weeds are spreading is evident. Veronica Buxbaumii has 

 established itself during the present century, and may now be collected by 

 the cartload on a single estate. Brewer, writing in 18.56, says :— " I shall 

 not soon forget the pleasure I experienced in finding a plant of V. 

 Buxbaumii in my garden ; I did not allow it to be disturbed, and it is now 

 one of the commonest weeds there." Erigeron canaden.sis is unmentioned 

 in Brewer's " Flora of Keigate," published in 1856. It is now well established 

 on the light sandy soils, especially in the fields between Keigate and 

 Eedhill. We strongly suspect, but cannot prove, that Spergula arvensis, 

 Papaxer Ehasas, P. dubium and P. Argemone, Senebiera Coronopns, 

 Euphorbia Peplus, Anagallis arvensis, Lamium incisura, L. amplexicaule, 

 Medicago lupulina, Linaria spuria, L. elatine, and Alchemilla arvensis are 

 on the increase around Eeigate. Drainage and cultivation appear to 

 favour the spread of these. On the other hand a beavyish percentage of 

 the plants which figure in the Flora are clearly doomed to extermination, 

 as far as our own neighbourhood is concerned. The laying out of roads, 

 and turning of roads into streets, is gradually driving many most 

 interesting flowers further from Eeigate. Most of us can remember the 

 time when Sedum Telephium might be gathered on the left hand side of the 

 Grammar School hill, and Asplenium Adiantum-nigrum on the right hand 

 side. Both are now gone. A few plants of A. Adiantum-nigrum may yet 

 be gathered in the sandy lanes beyond Eeigate Heath, but the rage for 

 transplanting ferns into gardens is ever}' year thinning the number of wild 

 ones. Scolopendrinm vulgare, never abundant, has long since been rooted 

 out of the lane leading from Linkfield-street to Wray Common, and has 

 probably b}- this time finally Tanished from ''lanes on the south side of 

 Park Hill." The Adder's Tongue (Ophioglossum vulgatum) is reported as 

 growing on both sides of the Wray Park Eoad. The sides of Wray Park 

 Eoad have been too long systematically cleared of weeds to leave any hopes 

 of the Adder's Tongue being again seen there. About twenty square yards 

 of ground on Eeigate Heath are the only spot in our district where we know 

 that it survives. Should a day ever come for the enclosing or laying out 

 of Keirate Heath, the death warrant will have been signed for six or seven 



