1858.] BOTANICAL NOTES^ NOTICES^ AND QUERIES. 325 



preferred by the horses, and believed to be more nutritious than 

 the common Ray-grass. 



The very best grasses may be unproductive, or worthless, if 

 they are not cultivated on a suitable soil. The Meadow Fox- 

 tail is an example. It is an excellent and an early grass, but 

 it requires a somewhat moist and rich soil. It is worthless on 

 dry uplands. 



The Timothy-grass {Phleum pratense) appears a stunted, wiry 

 grass on the dry banks of our upland downs, while on Battersea- 

 fields its spike alone attains a length of nearly a foot. 



BOTANICAL NOTES, NOTICES, AND QUERIES. 

 French Asparagus. 



In the extract from Mr. E. Eorster's letter from Bath, in 1809 

 (' Phytologist ' for September, p. 221), he says, "I have been out riding, 

 and fomid an Ornithogalmn, not yet in flower, but looks as if it Avould be 

 white, and a spike." I have vei-y little doubt this refers to O.pyrenaicum, 

 one of our rarer natives, but wfiich grows abundantly in some places in the 

 neighboui'hood of Bath. I remember to have seen it in gTeat profusion 

 in the year 1838, a few miles fi'om that city, though I cannot now parti- 

 cularize the spot : it was a wild, stony or rocky tract, with low brush- 

 wood ; here the OrnitJiogalum grew aU about, just as Scilla nutans does in 

 woods. At that period, and so_Jale_-a3-1856, the immature flower-buds, 

 were regularly sold, during their season, in the Bath market as an esculent 

 vegetable, under the name of French Asparagus. They were tied up in 

 bunches, each spike of flower-buds being very compact, and resembling a 

 short ear of green cora. As there was a constant supply of the vegetable 

 in the market and greengrocers' shops, I conclude that it suited some 

 palates. To my taste, it had nothing to recommend it, but, on the con- 

 trary, was most disagreeable : the flavour, besides being somewhat hot and 

 acrid, reminded me of the smell of the bruised stalks of Scilla nutans ; so 

 I partook but very sparingly of the French Asparagus, for fear of being 

 poisoned. W. T. Bree. 



AUesley Rectory, November, 1857. 



Pyrus Aucuparia. 



Under the head of "Pyrus Aucuparia " (' Phytologist,' October, p. 251), 

 " S. B.," after stating that the tree is kno'ivn in different parts of the 

 countiy by the names of " Wiggen-tree," and "Roaen-" or "Rowen-tree," 

 says that " it would be interesting to know any other names by which this 

 tree is called in England, Scotland, and Wales." For his information, I 

 beg to state that here, in Warwickshire, the tree is commonly called 

 " Quicken." W. T. Bree. 



