II. 



WEEDS AND ALIEN PLANTS. 



A slight knowledge of botany adds greatly 

 to the interest of a garden, and is besides 

 often of practical value. With such know- 

 ledge, one forms a habit of looking even at 

 weeds with some interest, and this has led to 

 my finding several strange plants among 

 them. I have for example come across the 

 following in the kitchen garden : 



" Saponaria vaccaria," with its curious 

 angled calyx and pretty pink flower. 



" Galium tricorne," very much like com- 

 mon goose-grass or cleavers, but rare in 

 England, and quite unknown in this neigh- 

 bourhood. 



Annual mercury (closely allied to the 

 common perennial Dog's mercury), green and 

 dull-looking, only of interest because it is 

 rare. 



" Holosteum umbellatum," which again is 

 rare and not much more attractive to the 

 casual observer. 



" Draba muralis," allied to " Shepherd's 

 purse," and not unlike it, but as rare as that 

 is common. 



" Melilotus omcinalis," a graceful yellow 

 pea-flower. When this first appeared it was 

 quite a stranger in these parts, but afterwards 

 for several years it was continually turning 



