HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. [49 



very productive. Geese and ducks are very fond of the seeds of 

 this grass. Water hair-grass (aim aquatica), generally grows in 

 water, is not uncommon, has a sweet taste like liquorice, and cattle 

 are very fond of it. 



Other principal meadow-herbage, valuable for hay and pasturage, 

 is composed of plants of the diadelpkia class, as follow : 1. 

 The meadow or cow clover (trifolium flexuosum), the seed of 

 which is professed to be sold under the name of cow-grass : it 

 abounds naturally in many meadows and old pastures, but the seed 

 bought under this name seldom proves perennial and durable. 2. 

 White clover, (trifolium repens], abounds naturally in sound meadows 

 and pastures, is highly valuable, and much cultivated. 3. Hop 

 trefoil, (trifolium procumbens], good herbage, abounding in 

 meadows, and sometimes cultivated. The bird's-foot trefoil (lotus 

 corniculatus] ; tufted vetch, (vicia cracca) ; meadow vetchling, 

 (lathyrus pratensis); meadow burnet, (sanguisorba officinalis) ; 

 meadow sweet, (spiraea ulmaria) ; and meadow sorrel, (rumex ace- 

 tosa) ; are common in meadows, and grateful and wholesome to 

 cattle, either green or in hay : the cow-weed, (ckoerophyllum syl- 

 vestre), has an uncouth and weed-like appearance, resembling 

 hemlock, but paler in colour ; common in meadows ; cows eat it 

 greedily when not too old, and it is wholesome food. The crow- 

 foot, (ranunculus bulbosus, repens, and acris], the butter-cups of 

 the meadows, so very abundant in themselves, acrid and pungent, 

 are, notwithstanding, a grateful and desirable admixture, acting 

 as an astringent, and probably correcting the flatulent qualities of 

 the more luxuriant grasses, and are useful in the hay. The dande- 

 lion, (leontodon taraxacum,} and yellow goat's-beard, (tragopogon 

 pratense), have durable qualities, salutary to cattle ; the yellow 

 rattle or penny-grass, (rhinanthus crista galli], and yarrow (achiltea 

 millefolium), are nutritive and wholesome to cattle. 



The following may be considered neutral plants, in meadows, 

 neither worthy the farmer's attention to encourage their growth, 

 nor his efforts to destroy them. They ornament the foliage, and (as 

 Dr. Withering has observed,) a display of beauty may have been in 

 some measure the design of the Great Creator. Daisy, (bellis pe- 

 rennis] ; daffodil, (narcissus pseudo-narcissus) ; harebell or English 

 hyacinth, (hyacinthus non scriptus] ; cowslip, (primula veris); prim- 

 rose, (primula vulgaris) ; lady smocks, (cardamine pratensis, and 

 hirsuta) ; wood or meadow anemone, (anemone nemorosa) ; goose 

 grasses, (galium palustre and uliginosum] ; bistort, (polygonum 



