42 THE WILD-FLOWERS OF SELBORNE 



of many of these herbs seems to be beyond question, 

 but they are never used now. They may still be 

 found, by those learned in the ways of plants, grow- 

 ing in our copses and hedgerows, or along the banks 

 of streams, but their very names are forgotten by the 

 country people. 



In our native flora there are a goodly number of 

 " trees yielding fruit," which in former years were 

 highly prized among our forefathers. The use of 

 these wild fruits is not now so general as it used to 

 be ; in many instances it is altogether obsolete, but 

 the subject is one full of interest to all lovers of 

 country life. 



In Saxon and mediaeval times, even after the intro- 

 duction of wheat and other cereals, there can be little 

 doubt that acorns were regularly used by the poorer 

 peasants for the purposes of making bread, and not 

 only in seasons of scarcity, but as a general article 

 of food. Oak trees were then chiefly valued because 

 of the acorns which they produced. In the Anglo- 

 Saxon Chronicle for the year 1116, which is described 

 as "a very calamitous year, the crops being spoiled 

 by the heavy rains, which came on just before August 

 and lasted till Candlemas," it is expressly recorded as 

 an aggravation of the " heavy time " that " mast was 

 also so scarce this year that none was to be heard of 

 in all this land or in Wales." The days of mast-bread 

 are happily gone for ever ; and even barley-bread, in 

 common use during severe winters not so many years 

 ago, has now everywhere given place to that of " the 

 finest wheat flour." The fruit of one member of the 

 same order is, however, highly valued. We refer, of 

 course, to the hazel, so abundant in our woods and 

 hedgerows. To go a-nutting is still as popular a 



