130 KENTISH BOTANY. [^CllJt 



i ■. ' i 



storm which visited these parts. This change of channel was 

 the primary cause of the decay of New Romney. ■'"- 



The entire surface of Romney Marsh is fiat ; its greatest eleva- 

 tions are not ahove twenty feet above the usual flood-tide ; and 

 these elevated parts are, first, the water-barriers, which protect 

 the marshes from inundations; second, the beach, which is mostly 

 composed of water -worn pebbles' j and thirds, 'tb6 hummock' of 

 sand at Lydd. •■ '■''■■' ''-■ ■"^■-' ^'^'i' 



The whole extent of this flat is intersected by innumerable 

 ditches, usually quite full, and on their margins and under and 

 on the surface of the water there is abundance of most luxu- 

 riant vegetation. The common productions of these wide, open 

 drains are reeds, rushes, pond-weeds, the usual aquatic and 

 marsh-loving plants of England. The rarer species, which are 

 not very numerous, will be more distinctly noticed in the sequel. 



The most prominent of the common plants is Scirpus mari- 

 iinius ; the rarer species, with ample notices of their precise loca- 

 tion, statistics, etc., will appear in the account of our peregrina- 

 tions through this district. , ' •' 



The plants of Romney Marsh are connected' by th^ common 

 character of palustral or aquatic or maritime vegetation ; they 

 consequently form but one class, which will be sufficiently illus- 

 trated in the following brief notice of our walks in this marshy, 

 uniform, and rather uninteresting tractP^^l^' ^^oii ^abii^i-wobBam 



We left Margate for Romney Marsh on Monday mdrmng,'t1le 

 13th August, one of the very warmest days of the warmest month 

 of the warm summer of 1861. Our train reached Ashford be- 

 tween ten and eleven o'clock in the forenoon, where there was 

 a delay of half an hour, till the train to Rye, Winchelsea, and 

 Hastings reached our station. This latter train <ioriie5'ed''tte'to 

 Appledore, through Ham Street, in less than half an hour.— - 

 Note. Romney Marsh- may be said to commence on this the 

 north side of Ham Street; for here i\ie Althisd'qficinctUSjtlte 

 most ornamental and the most abundant plaiit of these parts, made 

 its first appearance. Here it was very conspicuous, a^ it was every- 

 where else, and at this late period, of th,e year i\i? as iu perfection. 

 At Appledore station, which we reached about twelve o^ clock, 

 we alighted, and walked to the toAvn or village, which is a mile 

 and a half from the railway ; the wa.j is by the Rye rpad^ and 

 it may be varied by turning to the left, and taking i the path 



