British Wild Flowers and Trees 267 



(Phalaris arundinacea), Hierochloe borealis (a rare 

 northern plant, sweet-scented when dried), MiHum 

 effusum (a handsome wood grass), the exquisitely 

 graceful Apera Spica-venti of the eastern counties, 

 the Hare's-tail Grass of the Channel Islands (Lagurus 

 ovatus), the Quaking Grasses (Briza), the variegated 

 Cock's-foot Grass, and Elymus arenarius, a stout 

 grey grass, are interesting or beautiful. Some of 

 those Grasses, now never seen in a garden, are worthy 

 of being grown for use in the house. 



Our Native Poplars. While there is little space to 

 tell of all our native trees, many of which, in nature at 

 least, are as well worthy our attention as any exotic 

 ones, a few words on our native Poplars — among the 

 hardiest of trees and the easiest to increase and grow — 

 may not be amiss. When we think of the rapid growth 

 and the good effect both of single trees and groups in 

 the landscape, we find much to encourage us to plant 

 Poplars — even our native kinds. They will grow in 

 soils not so good for Oak or Ash or Pine, and this is 

 important for a country hke ours where there is so 

 much swampy or low-lying land by rivers and estuaries, 

 and also inland bog land, where the effect of Poplars 

 will be beautiful and their growth profitable. The 

 White Poplar or Abele, a native tree, is so fine in 

 form and in all ways that it is not neglected, and 

 about country houses we see noble trees of it nearly 

 or quite one hundred feet high. It is excellent for 

 planting by rivers and in spots likely to be under water 



