14 ENGLISH WILD FLOWERS. 



Mustard, and Winter Cress all indicate the natural 

 yearning for "green stuff" necessary to counteract a 

 long course of salt meat, ere gardeners were common 

 in the land. Many of the names tell of real or ima- 

 gined uses of the plants. " Fullers' Teazel," " Dyer's 

 Weed," " Glasswort," are easily understood ; others 

 were associated with particular seasons, as " Snow- 

 drop," " St. John's Wort," " Maythorn," and " Spring 

 Cresses." Many names were obviously suggested by 

 the structure and their likeness to some well-known 

 part of the animal kingdom, as " Hare's-ear," " Mouse- 

 tail," " Cowslip," Crowfoot." The " Woodbine " takes 

 us to the climbing plant of our rural lanes ; " Lily of 

 the Valley," " Meadow Eue," " Brooklime," " Shore- 

 weed," all speak of the habit or home of the plant. 

 Others bespeak the presence of a religious feeling, and 

 many names are associated with " Our Lady " and 

 Mary, the Apostles and the Saints. Others betoken 

 the presence or remembrance of old superstitions, and 

 in " Enchanter's Nightshade " there may be a hidden 

 secret locked, while the poetic feeling peeps out in 

 "Foxglove," or " Folk's-glove," "Thrift," "Speed- 

 well," and " Forget-me-not." 

 There is a world of historic knowledge connected 



