66 



Of the Bathurst burr, it is needless to say anything; its 

 hooked capsules are the dread of the sheep farmer, wherever it 

 flourishes on the neighbouring continent. Its progress appears to be 

 alow in this island ; but it is among us, and I fear will, some day, 

 make its influence felt. 



With regard co the other enemy, the American water weed or 

 water thyme, I have seen the most disastrous eflfects produced 

 by it in the old country. When once" established, its growth 

 is extraordinarily rapid, and it quickly fills up whatever pond or 

 atream it favours with its presence. Every joint, however minute, 

 takes root and forms a new plant, and, as may be easily imagined, 

 fragments are constantly carried on the breasts, or legs of water 

 birds from one point to another. It certainly seems slow to 

 propagate in this country, from what cause I know not. But this 

 is no argument, I fear, against its spread at a future date ; for 

 I have watched it in'a canal in England, where for years it seemed 

 only to exist in isolated patches, and then, for some mysterious 

 reason, its vitality seemed to be suddenly awakened, and it almost 

 fiUed the bed of the stream, so as to interfere with the flow of the 

 water. What it can do, under favourable circumstances, I had an 

 opportunity of witnessing lately at Brighton. A waterhole in a 

 paddock was so completely choked up by it, that it seemed impossible 

 to thrust another stem in between those already growing there. 



On the other hand the plants, which I discovered two years ago 

 in a quiet nook in the Jordan, appear to occupy about the same 

 aized area ; I do not think they have increased the least. I may 

 mention, in passing, that any persons who wish to see this noxious 

 water weed have only to step into Franklin-square, where it 

 flourishes abundantly in the central basin. 



And what have we among our aliens of an useful and ornamental 

 nature to set against the evH done by these troublesome immigrants 1 

 First and foremost, we have a number of excellent grasses and 

 clovers, palatable to cattle, and capable of endmring extreme 

 drought far better than the native species. Many a roadside and 

 Bpare corner is now clothed with a green verdure, which years ago 

 was brown and useless in summer. Red and white clover, cocksfoot, 

 fescue, meadow grass, rye grass, and some dozen other grasses, 

 have escaped from cultivation and set up on their own account 

 wherever they could find a suitable spot. One only of the intro- 

 puced grasses brings a bad reputation with it. I allude to the 

 Darnel (Lolium temulentum), which has always been looked upon as 

 poisonous. But there is no doubt that this is a gross calumny, 

 originating, probably, in the fact of its being apparently more 

 liable than other grasses to the attacks of a fungus, which really is 

 poisonous, the well-known Ergot. Darnel is, in fact, closely 

 related to the Rye-grass, and, were it not that it is usually deficient 

 in foliage, would be quite as valuable as a food plant. 



I have found in a few places specimens of the Sainfoin 

 (Onohrychis sativa), one of the most esteemed fodder plants in 

 England. So highly is it valued that it is frequently termed the 

 farmer's friend and the farmer's doctor ; for farmers say, let their 

 sheep be ever so sick or sorry they have only to turn them into a 

 field of Sainfoin and they are sure to recover. Unfortunately we 

 shall never be in a position to test its worth, because it is 



