88 
quire so frequent snuffing and the smoke of the snuff is less offen- 
sive” (Dr. Cutler, 1783, in Proc. Am. Acad., Vol. I). 
About 1833 a patent was granted Miss Margaret Gerrish, of Salem, 
for a process by which the fibre of this species of milkweed was 
used for the manufacture of various kinds of thread, cloth, etc. 
The specimens illustrating this are now at the Essex Institute. 
Asclepias phytolaccoides, Pursh. (Pokr MILKWEED.) 
Frequent in the Merrimac valley. Scarce in the southern towns. 
Asclepias purpurascens, L. 
“Danvers, July 17, 1853” (Dr. Osgood’s list). ‘‘ North Andover, 
in the rear of the Osgood estate” (Dr. Chas. Pickering), Middleton, 
1880 (J. R.). Rare. 
Asclepias quadrifolia, Jacq. 
‘Dungeon pasture, Lynn, rare” (Tracy). ‘‘Kernwood, Salem” 
(G. D. Phippen). Danvers (J. H. Sears), Middleton, etc. Scarce. 
Asclepias incarnata, L., var. pulechra, Pers. (Swamp MILKWEED.) 
Wet places. Frequent. Cultivated by Mr. G. D. Phippen in Salem, 
who states that ‘‘the plants grew freely from seeds, the offspring 
being smoother.” 
Asclepias obtusifolia, Michx. 
Lynnfield (Rev. A. P. Chute, Proc. E. I., Vol. II, p. 37), ‘‘ Rockport” 
(Pool); Ipswich (Oakes). Rare. 
Asclepias tuberosa, Z. (BUTTERFLY-WEED. PLEURISY-ROOT.) 
Wenham; Danvers; Topsfield; and the Merrimac valley towns, 
frequent. Rare elsewhere. All the native milkweeds are interest- 
ing in cultivation. Mr. G. D. Phippen of Salem has experimented 
with several, the most satisfactory being A. tuberosa, one plant of 
which bore, in his garden, one hundred clusters of flowers. 
OLEACEZ. 
(OLIVE FaMILy.) 
Ligustrum vulgare, Z. (PRIVET; PRIM.) P 
Rial Side, Beverly; Lynn, Wenham, Andover, etc. Common. 
‘Known in a wild state as long ago as when Dr. Manasseh Cutler 
botanized here in 1790” (memo. G. D. Phippen). Adv. from Enu., 
but naturalized in various parts of the county. 
Syringa vulgaris, LZ. (LILAc.) 
Cultivated in every old garden, often found escaped, although not 
far from dwellings. The white variety is less frequent than the 
ordinary form. (Ady. from Eu.) 

