Wild Flowers as They Grow 



plant is in that respect equal to it," said an old 

 writer a century ago, and he adds a reflection, 

 rooted in that old heresy, the Doctrine of Signatures, 

 " that nature seems to have set her stamp upon 

 several herbs which have the virtue to stop bleedings ; 

 this and the tutsan, the two best remedies the fields 

 afford for outward and inward bleedings, become 

 all over as red as blood at a certain season." For 

 use in this way the whole plant, root and all, was 

 dried and powdered. It is not employed for this 

 purpose now, but it is certain that its tissues contain 

 some strong principle, for if bruised they give out 

 a disagreeable smell, and hence, in retaliation, 

 country folk have called it, rather brutally, " Stink- 

 ing Bob." They, however, are glad enough of this 

 property when they require to use it as an insecticide, 

 in its ability for which they have great faith. 



When we turn to the scientific aspect of the 

 plant there are various points to note, the develop- 

 ment of the fruit being of particular interest. The 



little pink flowers — ^the Bachelor's, or Billy, or 



46 



