HIGHLANDS OF PERTHSHIRE. 25 



species Highlander, that we saw at Lochearn Head, was originally 

 of the Saxon race. The genuine Highlander is a sparer man, with 

 less muscular development, than his Saxon lord; he is also cha- 

 racterized by more agility of body, and by a more expressive and 

 intellectual countenance. As our object was botanical, and not 

 ethnological, these disquisitions are tabooed. Retournons a nos 

 moutons : or, in plain English, let us ' ' stick to our text." 



We had been conversing with the postmaster of Lochearn 

 Head about the common Carvi of Scotland (Carum Carui). This 

 obliging official was assuring us that it did not grow wild in his 

 vicinity (it was observed in his garden), and we were talking on 

 the general subject of the wildness of species in general, when 

 the gigantic Highlander above-mentioned put an end to our 

 discussion. 



It is a widely-spread opinion that all cultivated plants, whether 

 they be of a nutritious, medicinal, or other useful character, were 

 originally wild ; and, like all domestic or domesticated animals, 

 did originally exist no otherwise than in a wild state, growing 

 spontaneously and being Capable of self-propagation, without the 

 agency or labour of man. The origin of this opinion is unknown 

 to us, but we know that we do not hold it, because it is untenable, 

 incapable of proof, and unphilosophical : we know the effects, but 

 not the causes of vegetation. We have food-producing plants as 

 well as useful domestic animals, and we believe that they were cre- 

 ated by God for the sustenance and the accommodation of man ; 

 and it is believed that no cause is assignable for their existence, but 

 the creative wisdom of the Almighty and All-wise Creator. God 

 gave man, on his creation, the seeds of herbs and the fruit of trees 

 for his subsistence ; He gave man a place wherein these food- 

 bearing plants might be produced, with a charge " to keep and 

 dress" the same. If our cereal Grasses had had to be reclaimed 

 from the wild species of Triticum, Hordeum, Avena, Secale, etc. 

 (from the wild Grasses of our hedges, woods, and fields), and 

 our fruit-trees, from the Sloe and Crab-trees of our woods and 

 hedges, the human race would have perished long ere these re- 

 claimed species could have supplied them with necessary food. 

 Let the supporters of this popular opinion experiment on the 

 Wild Carrot and Wild Parsnip of our fields and waysides, and 

 tell us how many years elapsed ere they had an edible Carrot or 

 Parsnip from that source. We know that domesticated plants 



