THE CORNEL 117 



North parts of the Land, the Gatter tree, and the 

 berries Gatter berries, yet some say they call the 

 Euonymws so." 



Even Loudon makes an essay in the same direc- 

 tion, suggesting that the name was given " from the 

 astringent properties of the bark and leaves, a 

 decoction of which was formerly used as a wash for 

 curing the mange in dogs." No doubt such a wash 

 was employed, primarily perhaps on account of the 

 name of the tree, though in this matter, as in most of 

 its names, there is a very general confusion of this 

 tree with the Spindle-tree (Euon'yrnus europa'us L.) 

 and with the two British species of Guelder-rose 

 (Viburn'um) ; but assuredly this wash was not the 

 origin of the name Dogwood. 



As the late Dr. Prior pointed out, these hard, 

 tough and horny hedgerow Avoods were those most 

 handy and suitable for the making of dags, skewers, 

 and goads, and hence came the original names 

 Dagwood, Dag-tree, Dag-timber, Prickwood, Prick- 

 tree, Prick-timber, Skiver-wood, Skewer- wood, Gad- 

 rise, Gad-treow, Gatten-tree or Gaitre-tree. Gatter 

 Bush is simply Gad-tree bush, and perhaps Gatter- 

 idge may represent " Gaitre rouge," the red-shooted 

 Goad-tree. Cat tree and Catteridge are, of course, 

 easily explained corruptions, whilst Hound's Tree and 

 Houndberry Tree are, no doubt, more modern names, 

 dating from a period when the origin of the name had 

 been forgotten. Thus nearly all the many names of 

 this tree, which in themselves prove its former utility, 

 can be reduced to a very simple series, practically 

 three in number. 



