1 64 NATURE NEAR LONDON 



Since books came about, since the railways and science 

 destroyed superstition, the lore of herbs has in great 

 measure decayed and been lost. The names of many 

 of the commonest herbs are quite forgotten they are 

 weeds, and nothing more. But here these things are 

 preserved; in London, the centre of civilisation and 

 science, is a garden which restores the ancient know- 

 ledge of the monks and the witches of the villages. 



Thus, on entering to-day, the first plant which I 

 observed is hellebore a not very common wild herb 

 perhaps, but found in places, and a traditionary use of 

 which is still talked of in the country, a use which I 

 must forbear to mention. What would the sturdy 

 mowers whom I once watched cutting their way steadily 

 through the tall grass in June say, could they see here 

 the black knapweed cultivated as a garden treasure ? 

 Its hard woody head with purple florets lifted high above 

 the ground, was greatly disliked by them, as, too, the 

 blue scabious, and indeed most other flowers. The 

 stalks of such plants were so much harder to mow than 

 the grass. 



Feathery yarrow sprays, which spring up by the way- 

 side and wherever the foot of man passes, as at the gate- 

 way, are here. White and lilac-tinted yarrow flowers 

 grow so thickly along the roads round London as often 

 to form a border between the footpath and the bushes 

 of the hedge. Dandelions lift their yellow heads, 

 classified and cultivated the same dandelions whose 

 brilliant colour is admired and imitated by artists, and 

 whose prepared roots are still in use in country places 

 to improve the flavour of coffee. 



Groundsel, despised groundsel the weed which 

 cumbers the garden patch, and is hastily destroyed, is 

 here fully recognised. These harebells they have 



