314 Economical Ufe of the Ranunculus aquatilis, 



Syn. 249, and 4. R. fiuviatilh, or Ranunculo five Polyart- 

 themo aquatili albo affine. Millefolium maratriphyllum flui- 

 tans. J, B. iii. 782. Without entering here into any dif- 

 quifition relative to thefe diftinftions of the fpecies, I ftiall 

 come to the ultimate objccl of theOi obfervations, by re- 

 marking, that I was lately u'itnefs to a fs6l, with refpe£t 

 to the Ranunculus aquatilis jluv'iat'ilis , which, after what I 

 recollefted of the charafter of the plant, fomevvhat furprifed 

 me, while it fufficicntly proved, not merely the innoxious 

 quality of this plant, but that it is nutritive to cattle, and 

 capable of being converted to ufcful purpofes in agricultural 

 economy. Unlefs thefe varieties of the R. aquatilis Linn, 

 te endowed with different properties, it is a proof that the 

 experiments on this plant were not made with fufficient ac^ 

 curacy, or difcrimination of the varieties; not fufficienlly re- 

 peated on different individuals of the fame fpecies of animals ; 

 or, that in different countries or fituations it is divefted of its 

 virulence. In the prefent inftance, it is probable, the plant 

 is rendered inert as a poifon, by growing in the water ; al- 

 though in certain other inftances, moifture is thought to 

 heighten the deleterious property of vegetables, efpecially in 

 the umbelliferous tribe. 



The fa£l that I have alluded to is, that in the neighbour- 

 hood of Ringwood, on the borders of the Avon, which afl'ords 

 this vegetable in great abundance all the year, fome of the 

 cottagers fuftain their cows, and even horfes, almoft wholly 

 by this plant; fmce the remaining part of their food is no- 

 thing more than a fcanty pittance they get on the adjacent 

 heath, which affords little more than hhig. Lichen, Bog- 

 mofs or Sphagnum, &c. It is ufual'to employ a man to 

 colle6l a quantity for the day every morning, and bring it 

 in the boat to the edge of the water, from which the cows, 

 in the inftance I faw, ftood eating it with great avidity. I 

 was indeed informed they reliflied it fo highly, that it v.as 

 unfafe to allow them more than a certain quantity; I think 

 between twenty-fxve and thirty pounds each, daily ; but with 

 variation according to circnmflances. The cows I faw were 

 apparently not in a mean condition, and gave a fufficient 

 quantity of good milk. I was told by the perfon whofe cattle 

 7 were 



