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anserina), growing on the edge of the hard road, with 

 yellow flowers and beautiful downy leaves; the Wood 

 Betony (Betonica officinalis), with interrupted spike of 

 bright purple flowers; the White Dead Nettle (Lamium 

 album) ; and the Hedge Woundwort (Stachys syhatica). 

 The two last are pretty and tempting objects, but it is 

 better not to give them a place in your gathered bouquet, 

 as they do not improve on a closer acquaintance. 



One more plant, plentiful in the lane, demands a short 

 notice, as well for its great beauty, as for its historical 

 associations. This is the Perforated St. John's Wort 

 (Hypericum perforatum). It has a wreath of golden 

 flowers, growing on a branched stem, the petals being dotted 

 with black. The leaves, which are of delicate green, are 

 full of transparent spots, caused by an essential oil, which 

 is also found to pervade the whole plant. Its virtues are 

 well known to medical botanists. It was dedicated by the 

 old monks to St. John the Baptist and they probably gave 

 it its ancient name of Fuga Dcemonum, because its pos- 

 session was considered a sure defence against evil spirits, 

 phantoms, and ghosts. On the vigil of St. John's Day 

 (Midsummer Eve) it appears to have been specially used 

 for this purpose, among the other curious ceremonies of old 

 observed at that time. Then, too, we are told, young girls 

 gathered sprigs of the plant, and suspended them on the 

 walls of their chamber. If they remained on the following 

 morning fresh it foretold a prosperous marriage ; if they 

 drooped and withered, a state of single blessedness. In 

 Scotland, formerly, many were in the habit of carrying it 

 about their persons to protect them from witchcraft and 

 the evil eye, and from the designs of bad spirits. 



