8 Old Time Gardens 



flowers, and quickly giving them, as we know, 

 familiar old English plant-names. 



And there were other garden inhabitants, as truly 

 English as were the cherished flowers, the old gar- 

 den weeds, which quickly found a home and thrived 

 in triumph in the new soil. Perhaps the weed seeds 

 came over in the flower-pot that held a sheltered 

 plant or cutting ; perhaps a few were mixed with 

 garden seeds ; perhaps they were in the straw or 

 other packing of household goods : no one knew 

 the manner of their coming, but there they were, 

 Motherwort, Groundsel, 'Chickweed, and Wild Mus- 

 tard, Mullein and Nettle, Henbane and Wormwood. 

 Many a goodwife must have gazed in despair at 

 the persistent Plantain, " the Englishman's foot," 

 which seems to have landed in Plymouth from the 

 Mayflower. 



Josselyn made other lists of plants which he 

 found in America, under these headings: 



" Such plants as are common with us in England. 



Such plants as are proper to the Country. 



Such plants as are proper to the Country and have no 



name. 

 Such plants as have sprung up since the English planted, 



and kept cattle in New England." 



In these lists he gives a surprising number of 

 English weeds which had thriven and rejoiced in 

 their new home. 



Mr. Tuckerman calls Josselyn's list of the fishes 

 of the new world a poor makeshift ; his various 

 lists of plants are better, but they are the lists of 



