JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
173 
August  20,  1896. 
Borcery  or  witchcraft,  and  was  administered  in  decoctions,  fortu¬ 
nately  more  harmless  than  other  herbs  that  had  much  repute  amongst 
the  old  astrologers.  For  instance,  one  of  the  true  Nightshades, 
Solanum  nigrum,  conspicuous  by  its  white  flowers  and  numerous 
berries,  which  is  a  frequent  garden  weed,  is  said  to  have  been  uted 
to  furnish  a  fatal  dose  to  the  sick,  being  very  poisonous. 
It  is  well  to  be  cautious  regarding  such  species  as  are  of  this 
tribe,  but  when  I  hear,  not  uncommonly,  people  call  the  Bittersweet 
“  Deadly  Nightshade,”  1  explain  that  this  name  does  not  rightly 
belong  to  S.  dulcamara.  No  doubt  the  berries  are  deleterious,  but 
they  generally  cause  speedy  vomiting  if  eaten,  and  the  leaves  or 
twigs  of  this  familiar  climber  contain  qualities  that  are  useful. 
Probably  the  flavour  of  the  roots,  which  taste  first  bitter,  then 
Bweet,  suggested  it  was  an  emblem  of  “  truth  ;  ”  one  of  its  old 
names  was  *’ Felonwood.”  More  peril  environs  the  Atropa  bella¬ 
donna,  which  deserves  the  epithet  “  deadly,”  and  which  we  come 
upon  occasionally  in  our  Kentish  woods,  conspicuous  from  its  bright 
green  leaves  and  purple  bells,  followed  by  black,  Cherry-like  berries, 
that  look  tempting,  though  so  noxious,  hence  its  ominous  generic 
name.  The  specific  one  points  to  the  fact  that  the  Italian  ladies 
used  the  plant 
as  a  cosmetic, 
but  is  there  a 
sly  satire  in  its 
being  symbolic- 
of  “  silence,” 
seeing  it  is  as¬ 
sociated  with 
the  fair  sex  ? 
The  Germans 
called  it  Wolf 
Cherry,  it  was 
also  Dwale  in 
some  English 
counties  ;  this 
is  derived  from 
an  old  word 
alluding  to  the 
mournful  cha¬ 
racter  of  the 
Belladonna. 
The  Thorn 
Apple  (Datura 
stramonium) 
was  at  one  time 
not  uncommon 
in  gardens,  and 
Gerard  the 
herbalist  did 
his  best  to  dis¬ 
perse  it  over 
the  country, 
where  it  here 
and  there  turns 
up  seemingly 
wild.  Its  at¬ 
traction  was 
the  long  white 
and  fragrant  flower,  round  which  the  lobed  leaves  cluster  at  dusk, 
forming  a  kind  of  shield  to  protect  it  during  the  night. 
The  bristly  capsule  that  succeeds  the  flower  is  rather  a  pretty 
object,  yet  it  may  have  suggested  the  lesson  which  the  Thorn 
Apple  is  said  to  teach,  “  Be  not  deceived  by  appearances.”  Or  was 
this  because  in  some  countries  the  plant,  when  not  blooming,  has 
been  eaten  for  a  species  of  Chenopodium  by  mistake,  with  serious 
results  ?  But  the  smoke  of  the  dried  plant  is  certainly  a  valuable 
remedy  for  a  sort  of  asthma,  to  which  gardeners  amongst  others  ; 
are  subject  at  times.  The  allied  Henbane,  which  is  undoubtedly 
British,  a  haunter  of  ruins  and  waste  places,  is  a  reminder  of 
“  imperfection,”  and  though  the  yellow,  purple-veined  flowers  have 
a  pleasing  appearance,  the  odour  of  the  plant,  with  its  clammy 
hairs,  excites  disgust.  It  is  now  a  rare  species,  possibly  to  the 
advantage  of  poultry,  but  I  do  not  think  hens  would  touch  the 
seeds,  or  any  part  of  it,  as  domestic  animals  generally  avoid  Hen¬ 
bane  ;  swine,  however,  can  eat  it  without  harm. 
Then  the  gay  Petunia  tells  us,  in  flower  language,  that  it  is 
''  showy,  but  not  proud  ;  ”  and  the  Tobacco  plant  has  had  various 
meanings  assigned  to  it,  but  it  may  be  the  fittest  emblem  of 
“  repose,”  while  our  useful  Potato  serves  as  a  type  of  “  beneficence.” 
Often  when  we  are  passing  through  a  South-eastern  district  on 
some  August  day  our  attention  is  drawn  to  a  field  of  Lucerne, 
about  which  the  clouded  yellow  and  other  bright  coloured  butter¬ 
flies  are  careering.  This  plant,  also  called  the  Purple  Medick 
fMedicago  sativa),  was  an  emblem  of  ‘^ife,”  and  there  existed 
ft^nnerly  an  odd  belief  that  if  Lucerne  was  uprooted  from  land 
FIG.  37.— -ABISTOLOCHXA  GIGA8  AT  SHEFFIELD. 
where  it  had  been  fairly  established  it  would  never  flourish  again 
upon  the  same  spot.  The  name  of  “  Lucerne  ”  alludes  to  light, 
and  may  have  been  suggested  by  the  purplish  blue  of  the  flowers. 
“  Medick,”  belonging  to  this  and  allied  species,  must  refer,  I  think, 
to  medical  virtues  some  of  them  were  supposed  to  have,  though 
these  are  now  forgotten. 
To  the  Black  Medick  (M.  lupulina),  indeed,  the  name  of 
Nonesuch  was  given,  perhaps  because  it  was  deemed  such  good  food 
for  sheep.  The  crowded  yellow  flower  heads  and  little  black  pods 
are  very  distinctive.  The  Spotted  Medick  (M.  maculata)  has  its 
leaves  spotted,  and  the  pod  curls  into  a  bristly  bur  which  clings  to 
wool,  and  makes  it  an  undesirable  plant  for  pastures.  Unwelcome 
on  cultivated  fields  has  alwayi  been  the  Rest-harrow  (Ononis 
spinosa),  symbol  of  “  obstacles,”  becauie  its  twigs  and  thorns  were 
said  to  check  the  movements  of  the  harrow,  but  they  could  hardly 
resist  an  implement  moved  by  steam.  In  these  days  its  pink 
flowers  are  less  frequently  seen,  and  then  mostly  on  heaths  or 
commons.  In  Scotland  they  call  it  Cammock  ;  the  young  shoots 
are  eaten  and  the  long  roots  chewed  or  sucked. 
The  Clovers  of  our  fields  and  lanes  have,  some  of  them,  their 
significance.  It 
is  of  “  remem¬ 
brance  ”  that 
the  white  or 
Dutch  Clover 
(Trifolium  re- 
pens)  tells  ; 
one  of  its  older 
names  was 
“Cock’s-head.” 
from  the  way 
in  which  the 
flower  stalks 
rise  above  the 
leaves,  and  the 
common  name, 
representing 
the  Saxon 
cloefer,  refers 
to  the  divided 
foliage  of  these 
plants.  There 
are  those  who 
adhere  to  the 
idea  that  this 
is  the  true 
Shamrock. 
What  is  oddly 
called  in  some 
places  Kitty 
Clover,  the  red 
T.  pratense, 
speaks  of 
“  acti  vity,” 
since  about  its 
flowers  bees 
and  flies  are 
busy  all  day. 
The  Hare’s-foot  (T.  arvenie)  is  an  emblem  of  “  speed,”  the  silky 
down  of  leaves  and  flowers  suggested  the  popular  name  ;  it  ii  some¬ 
times  a  troublesome  weed.  Then  we  have  the  Bird’s-foot  Trefoils  , 
one  of  the  favourite  species  is  Lotus  corniculatus,  specially 
abundant  on  the  chalk,  yet  able  to  hold  its  position  along  sandy 
banks  or  in  a  shallow  streamlet.  But  it  is  of  “  vengeance  ”  that  the 
flowers,  in  sweet-scented  clusters  of  yellow,  tinged  with  crimso.n, 
are  said  to  tell.  The  Honey  Lotus  or  MelUot,  allied  to  the 
Clovers,  is  quite  tall  compared  with  them  ;  I  have  seen  it  wild 
about  London  suburbs  ;  formerly  a  plaister,  mnch  extolled,  was 
made  from  this  plant. 
Near  relatives  to  the  Pelargoniums  are  those  Peruvian  plants 
the  Tropseolums.  The  first  species  that  reached  Britain  in  1596  was 
T.  minus,  which  got  the  name  of  Indian  Cress,  and,  like  T.  majus, 
that  came  over  a  century  after,  the  plants  had  rather  an  economic 
than  an  ornamental  value,  the  leaves  and  raw  fruits  being  put  into 
salads;  the  flowers,  however,  soon  began  to  be  used  for  table  decora¬ 
tion,  often  accompanied  by  those  of  the  Borage.  “  Tropaaolum  ” 
alludes  to  the  turning  or  twining  characteristic  of  the  species. 
Evidently  the  more  familiar  name  of  Nasturtium,  meaning  a 
“  twisted  nose,”  refers  to  the  bent  beak  of  the  calyx.  From  some 
date  unknown  the  flowers  have  been  symbolic  of  “  patriotism.” 
We  have  now  double  varieties,  and  also  perennial  species  in  our 
gardens,  such  as  the  vigorous  vermilion  hued  T.  speciosum. 
A  doubtful  native  of  this  island,  since  it  is  chiefly  found 
amongst  the  ruins  of  abbeys  and  nunneries,  is  the  Birthwort 
(Aristolochia  Clematitis),  a  floral  representative  of  “power,”  and 
