no NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 



The grafs in the vallies, or near the houfes, is cut for hay, and 

 though in moft places it be mowed with a fcythe, yet in fome, 

 like the grain, it is reaped with a fickle j after which it is hung to 

 dry on hefgiers. Thefe hefgiers are a moveable garden, conuft- 

 ing only of poles fattened together, both in the length and breadth, 

 by birch twigs, where the hay dries much better, and the rain 

 evaporates fooner, than when left to lye on the ground *. The 

 peafant dungs his meadows as well as fields, though the former 

 but flightly. When the mofs is grown fo high, as to obftrucT: the 

 growth of the grafs, whereby very great damages are done in 

 many places, the experienced hufbandman is not without a re- 

 medy, either plowing up the meadow to deftroy the mofs, or 

 ftrewing it over thick with fand, if any can be had in the neigh- 

 bourhood. But according to the before-mentioned Mr. Peter 

 Schroder, who is a very experienced hufbandman, nothing is more 

 certain and effectual for this purpofe, than turf-afhes, where turf 

 is burnt, or in a woody country to burn turf merely for the fake 

 of the allies, and lay them on thick over the meadows, which are 

 thus damaged by the luxuriancy of the mofs. For the firft year 

 indeed this method makes no great alteration, but in the follow-* 

 ing it is recommended by the moft happy effects, producing the 

 fineft and melloweft grafs, intermixed with many falubrious Sow- 

 ers. The feveral kinds of greens growing here befides the com- 

 mon fort, are holly, quick, wild tanfy, rufhes, fedge, goofe-oats, 

 bienfen, (rufhes) fheer-grafs, iglegras, ftoergras, (large grafs) ej 

 tourgras, of which fome particulars fhall be obferved in the fequel, 

 I am not acquainted with the kind of grafs or plant with ihort 

 broad leaves, to which fome here give the name of Viola Canina, 

 but by it, and fome leaves of forrel, the lives of two brothers were 

 wonderfully fupported for feveral days. The fingularity of this 

 ftory is fuch, that I cannot forbear inferring here a fhort abftraft 

 of it, for however it may appear a digreflion, yet it is not very 

 unufual, in an account of the feveral plants of a country, and it i* 

 befides an interefting fad, as it furnifhes more than one inftance 

 of the care of providence over perfons in the extremity of diftrefs. 

 It may be read more at large in Oluf Bangs colledions, p. 508. 



* I have fmce been informed, that thefe Hosfgier are ufed only in the diocefe of 

 Bergen, they not being fo neceffary in other parts, where the rains are not fo frequent. 



Olafe 



