﻿Canadian Plant-Lore. 227 



an adaptation to reduced transpiration, is really due to 

 the curling of a leaf in times of drought, so as to present 

 the edge to the rays of the sun. Several curious 

 expressions are common. A man, from fear or ague, may 

 " shake like a popple-leaf," a calm person is " as cool as a 

 cucumber," and a wealthy man is '' worth a plum," while 

 a valueless object or person " is not worth shucks." As 

 in New England,^ " shucks" for nut-shells, the " tossell and 

 silk" of the corn and " corn-cob" are common terms. 



In regard to plant names, there is a lack of interesting 

 matter. Little discrimination is shown, and, to the 

 majority, all small, pale, spring-flowers are "mayflowers." 

 Popular English plant names are sometimes misapplied, 

 for instance, the marsh-marigold {Caltlia 'paliidris) is 

 called " the cowslip," periwinkle ( Vinca minor) is known 

 as " myrtle," and the jewel-weed {Impatiens fitlva) is often 

 styled " smart-weed." Another popular name for the jewel- 

 weed, " touch-me-not," referring to the sudden bursting 

 of the pods when touched, may account for a curious idea 

 that the plant is poisonous to the touch and will cause 

 blindness. 



A favourite amusement, transplanted from England, is 

 to pluck the rays of a daisy one by one, at the same time 

 repeating the formula, " Eich man, poor man, beggar man, 

 thief, doctor, lawyer, merchant, chief." The term used 

 with the last ray indicates the status of the future spouse 

 of the experimenter. As elsewhere, four-leaved clovers 

 exercise their magic spell, dandelion curls and whistling 

 grasses rejoice the hearts of successive generations of boys 

 and girls, and practical jokes owing to the confusion 

 of lady's thumb knotweed {Polygonum pcrsicaria) and 

 the smartweed (P. liydro'pi'pex) have a perennial freshness. 

 Thus the fancies and games of childhood prolong the 

 fading romance of the past, and furnish connecting links 

 which prove the whole world kin. 



iTlie Century Magazine, April, 1894. 



