THE SWEDISH PAN. 
359 
do good to his fields by ploughing the ground 
and eating the' roots of couch-grafs , whereas 
they never touch them, but when prefied by 
the utmofl necefiity d . 
§. 
To give a view of my defign in a few words, 
I have difpofed the plants mentioned in the 
Flora Suecica according to their numbers ; and 
to be as fhort as pofiible, it was neceifary to add 
the generical name with a ihort and incompleat 
d In the fame way with us it is a notion that prevails com- 
monly that cows eat the crow-foot that abounds in many 
meadows, and that this occafions the butter to be yellow, 
from whence i fuppofe it is generally known by the name of 
the butter-flower. But this i believe is all a miftake, for i 
never could obferve that any part of that plant was touched 
by cows or any other cattle. Thus Linnaeus obferves, FL 
Lapp. p. ic)£. that it was believed by fome people that the 
■marJJs viarygold made the butter yellow, but he denies that 
cows ever touch that plant. Yet he thinks that all kinds of 
pafture will not give that yeliownefs, and then obferves that 
the bell and yellowed butter he knows, and which is prefer- 
red by the dealers in thofe parts to all other butter, was made 
where the cow-wheat grew in greater plenty than he ever 
faw any where elfe. This fhews how very incurious the 
countrey people are in relation to things they are every day 
converfant with, and which it concerns them fo much to 
know. 
A a 4 
