THE DANDELION, 



as we may be assured that its existence, though 

 hidden from us, is required in the great scheme of 

 nature, or such elaborate and sufficient contrivances 

 for its continuation and increase would never have 

 been called into action by nature, who is so remark- 

 ably simple in all her actions, economical in her 

 ways, and frugal of her means. 



Some very extraordinary vegetable productions 

 are now on the table before me. Though not 

 gathered in this neighbourhood, I am induced to 

 give them a place with our notables, because I be- 

 lieve that they have not been noticed, and afford a 

 strong example of the persevering endeavours that 

 plants exert at times to maintain existence. Plate 

 2. represents the tufted head and entire roots of 

 a grass, gathered from a down fed by sheep from 

 time immemorial. It is probably that of the hard 

 fescue (festuca duriuscula), which, having been 

 constantly eaten down by cattle, has never thrown 

 up flowering stems, giving out only radicle leaves. 

 These appear to have been cropped short, as soon 

 as they have sprung up, the less succulent and 

 strawy portions only being left, like a ball upon the 

 surface, as a bush constantly clipped by the gar- 

 dener's shears. The root appears to have annually 

 increased, though the upper parts it was destined 

 to nourish have been destroyed, until it became a 

 lock of closely-compacted fibres, like a tuft of hair, 

 six or eight inches in length. Furze bushes, grow- 

 ing upon many downs in Wales, Devon, and Corn- 

 wall, assume commonly the appearance of large, 



