72 WILD FLOWEBS OF SPRING. 



looked upon as a sign of bad husbandry, and it soon 

 takes possession of a neglected field. 



" Her fallow leas 



The darnel, hemlock, and rank fumitory, 

 Doth root upon." 



And gentle Cordelia speaks of her father as 



M Crowned with rank fumiter, and furrow weeds, 

 With harlocks, hemlocks, nettles, cuckoo flowers, 

 Darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow 

 In our sustaining corn." 



The name of fumitory is supposed to be derived 

 from Fume-de-terre earth-smoke from the thin va- 

 pour-like appearance which its pale green leaves gives 

 to the naked soil. Indeed, in the Northern counties 

 it is called earth-smoke; and a larger variety (I', 

 capreolata), Ramping Fumitory, is common in highly 

 cultivated ground. The plant has a very strong saline 

 flavour, and, when boiled in whey or milk, is used by 

 village belles as a cosmetic. Clare speaks of old 

 dames sparing the plant when reaping, from the re- 

 membrance of the service it had rendered to their 

 youthful charms. The " harlocks " mentioned by 

 Shakespeare is doubtless the Common Charlock, the 

 Sinapis arvensis of botanists. In Ireland, where it is 

 known as the " Puehoch dwee," or yellow weed, it 



