THE FLOWERS OF EARLY SPRING 15 



but he does not allude to it in his tioned in this passage, both the 



famous book. It is, however, interest- hellebores are still to be found at 



ing to notice that he mentions the Selborne. White speaks of the Helle- 



plant in a passage which is not in- borus foetidus as growing " all over 



appropriate to the subject of these the High Wood and Coney Croft 



papers. " Of all the propensities of Hanger," and adds, " the good women 



plants," he writes, " none seems more give the leaves powdered to sick 



strange than their different periods of children ; but it is a violent remedy, 



blossoming. Some produce their flowers and ought to be administered with 



in the winter or very first dawnings caution." This handsome evergreen 



of spring ; many when the spring is plant, allied to the Christmas roses of 



established ; some at midsummer ; cultivation, and in the olden times 



and some not till autumn. When we intimately associated with the practice 



see the Helleborus foetidus blowing at of herbalism, is one of the most in- 



Christmas, the Eranthis hyemalis in teresting in our native flora. Old 



January, and the Helleborus viridis Gerarde, as we should expect, has 



as soon as ever it emerges out of the much to say with regard to its vir- 



ground, we do not wonder because tues. He calls it the " Ox-heele or 



they are kindred plants that we expect Setter-wort, which names," he adds, 



should keep pace the one with the " are taken from his vertues in curing 



other. But other congenerous plants oxen and such like cattell." He then 



differ so widely in their time of flower- goes on to explain the method by 



ing that we cannot but admire." Of which " the old Farriers or horse- 



these he instances the crocus, of which leeches " were wont to work : " They 



the vernal species expands its flowers, cut a slit or hole in the dewlap, as 



as in the meadows near Nottingham, they terme it (which is an emptie 



by the beginning of March, while the skinne under the throat of the beast) 



autumnal " defies the influence of wherein they put a piece of the root 



spring and summer, and will not blow of Setter-wort, suffering it there to 



till most plants begin to fade and remaine for certaine daies together : 



run to seed. This circumstance," he which manner of curing they do call 



adds, " is one of the wonders of Settering of their cattell." The plant, 



creation." from White's entry, was clearly abun- 



Of the early-flowering plants men- dant at Selborne in his day ; and as 



