42 



MARINE AND FISHERIES 



1-2 EDWARD VII., A. 1902 



collector immediately turned to the streets and fields of the town and its neighbourhood 

 which promised a more abundant harvest. During the early half of the century St. 

 Andrews was distinguished for its great commercial activity, especially in its export of 

 lumber. The long line of wharfs and the numerous warehouses, now falling into ruins, 

 along the front of the town, are monuments of a prosperity which has now completely 

 passed away with the destruction of the forests upon which it depended. Some of the 

 streets as well as the wharfs are now almost deserted, and furnish favourable conditions 

 for the growth and propagation of the foreign weeds and plants imported in earlier days. 

 Many gardens and fields have been abandoned by their owners and are now rich collect- 

 ing grounds for the botanist. Plants that once ornamented the grounds of wealthy- 

 merchants or prosperous farmers, have spread to the roadside and fields, or abound on the 

 sidewalks along the deserted streets. A large area near the town, which once consti- 

 tuted the town park, with its winding paths, its artificial lake and its pleasant flower 

 beds and grass plots, is now a perfect paradise for the botanist. 



The w riter can recall no locality he has ever \isited where such a large number of 

 foreign plants can be found in such a limited area, At the time of his arrival the early 

 blooming plants had shed their flowers. The forest trees and native shrubs had passed 

 the flowering season — had assumed their summer appearance and were now ripening 

 their fruits. The winds were scattering the seeds of the poplars and willows over the 

 neighbourhood where they grew. But though the spring flowers had disappeared the 

 streets and fields were gay with the blossoms of foreign plants. Every rising sun was 

 welcomed with a fresh display of floral beauty. 



For several weeks Raiiunculus repens, L., whether native or introduced, displayed 

 its large yellow flowers abundantly in the ditches along the streets and in the damp 

 grounds ; and the common Buttercup {Ranunculus acris, L.) adorned the higher grounds. 

 The "Wild Mustard (Brassica arvensis, L.) has pushed its way successfully out into the 

 open country and many fields were brilliant with its yellow petals. Two other species 

 (Brassica nigra, Koch, and £. campestris, L,) occupied more limited areas, but added to 

 the general display. Another member of the Cruciferous family {Le/ndium ruderah^ 

 L.) found a congenial home on the decaying wharfs. Among the introduced forms, 

 which have secured a permanent home for themselves, few have become more conspicuous 

 than the yellow clover (Trijolium procumbens, L.) It has spread over roads and rail- 

 road tracks in diS'erent localities to the almost total exclusion of the other species. It 

 must, however, yield the palm to the Carroway (Caruni carui, L.) which has not only- 

 invaded the town but has overrun the entire country for miles around. If the seeds 

 were collected a sufiicient quantity would be obtained to supply the demands of the 

 province, perhaps of the Dominion. Of thirty-two species of Compositse collected, 

 twenty have been introduced from foreign lands. The less frequented streets were bril- 

 liant during the month of June with Dandelions of which two species occur (Taraxacum 

 taraxacum, Karst, and 7\ erythi ospermum, Andrz). The latter must be rare as the 

 writer has never noticed it elsewhere. One of the most interesting members of this 

 family is the Hieracium aurantiacum, L., which is exceedingly abundant near the 

 laboratory, but has not spread into the fields. Leontodon autumnalis, L., meets the 

 eye everywhere, and Tragopogon p7-atensis is common in deserted gardens and fields. The 

 Blue-bell family (Campanulacese) is represented by large numbers of Campanula rapun- 

 Guloides, L., whose long racemes of blue flowers with corollas an inch in length are very- 

 conspicuous on the sidewalks and along the garden fences. 



Of the native plants in the immediate neighbourhood of the laboratory in the 

 months of June and July the following species are most likely to attract the attention 

 of the visitor from the west : — 



Viola primulaefolia, L. 

 Viola lanceolata, L. 

 Potentilla tridentata, Ait. 

 Potentilla anserina, L. 

 Rosa humilis lucid a, Ehrh. 

 Drosera rotund if olia, L. 

 Aster tardiflorus, L. 

 Antennaria neodioica, Greene. 



Rhodora Canadensis, L. 

 Euphrasia Americana. 

 Rhinanthus Crista-Galli, L. 

 Carex Goodenovii, J. Gay. 

 Carex maritima, MuUer. 

 Poa flava, L. 



Festuca ovina duriuscula, L. 

 Botryehium simplex, Hitchcock. 



