6o 



places [T. I. p. 443] around London, high and sufficiently 

 steep earth-walls are used instead of a fence, gardes- 

 gard, or other hedge around their ploughed fields, 

 meadows, and pastures, and market gardens. When the 

 earth becomes dry at the sides, especially when there 

 has been a frost, it is very much given to slip down and 

 destroy the wall. I remarked, however, that nature 

 herself was diligent in remedying this, and that art came 

 to her aid, which was effected by certain plants that had 

 taken up their abode on the sides of the walls, and had 

 bound the earth together with their roots, and by the 

 shelter of their leaves, med bladens skugga, prevented 

 the sun and frost from doing violence to the mould which 

 without the plants would be loose. Among them there 

 were in particular the following : — 



Qvickroten, 105 [Tritiwm], was the best of all 

 grasses, and was also the commonest on the sides of the 

 walls. It grew thickest of all, the most luxuriant, and 

 the richest in blades, and made the longest grass growth. 

 The highest was commonly 2 ft. 6 ins. to 3 ft. 



Hundexing, 83 [Banks MS., Dactylis Glomerata] 

 stood in some places plentiful enough. 



Renlosta, 85, was also a beautiful grass for fastening 

 earth-walls, especially where the earth is loose. I saw 

 it growing in many places on the sides in abundance, 

 luxuriant and rich in blades, indeed it often stood as 

 thick as the thickest rye field especially under the shade 

 of the hedges. Its height was 2 ft. 6 ins. to 3 ft. In 

 some places Akervinda, 173 [C. Arvensis, L. Ger. 

 Winde.] Small Bind Weed, covered the whole south side 

 of the high and very steep earth walls, where it had 

 bound the earth together with its thick growth, plentiful 

 leaves and shade, myckna blan och skugga. 



In other places there grew Hordeum, 107 [H. Muri- 

 num~] quite alone on both sides of the earth-wall, where 



