THE SPURGE AND THE SOLOMON'S SEAL 455 



coping, in such situations it thrives equally well 

 as in the deeper and richer soil of the garden. 

 Wherever its seeds can find a lodgment, no 

 matter how slender, there they take root. The 

 Russians cultivate this plant for the sake of the 

 oil yielded by its seeds. The flowers of the 

 wild snapdragon are mostly red or white. 



The spurge is another plant well known as a 

 garden-weed, and ever thriving best where its 

 presence is least desirable. Its curious green 

 flowers appear soon after midsummer, and con- 

 tinue until the autumn. It is known locally as 

 cat's-milk, wolfs-milk, wart- weed, etc., the last 

 appellation being derived from the caustic nature 

 of its juice, which was used as a cure for warts, as 

 also for the wound caused by the bite of an adder, 

 and, when rubbed behind the ear, as a remedy for 

 toothache. 



Although it cannot be regarded as one of our 

 commoner wild-flowers, and is more frequently to 

 be seen growing in some herbaceous border of 

 the garden, the Solomon's seal is, nevertheless, to 

 be found in several parts of England, its long and 

 gracefully -drooping stems, adorned with white 

 pendent flowers, being at their best during the 

 earlier months of summer. Other plants belong- 

 ing to the same genus, viz., Convallaria, are also 

 known by the name of Solomon's seal. The lily 

 of the valley is one of these. The variety to 

 which we refer frequently attains to three feet in 

 height, and is sufficiently remarkable to attract 



