Chapter IV: Preface (4)

Deadly nightshade--dwale--or belladonna is the worst specie, growing in woods, hedges, among lime-stone or rubbish; the stem is herbaceous or of a herby nature, the leaves, spear, or halbert shaped, the flowers of a bluish purple with a bright yellow thrum, chives, or pointal, appearing like the snuff of an expiring Candle, the berries grow in very handsome bunches, first green, then a fine red, next a beautiful black, are very tempting to Children having cost many their Lives, causing stupor, delirium, and convulsions, and are certain Death if not prevented by timely and plentiful vomiting; this plant cannot be too well known being so very common in most Countries, and so tempting, both to Children and Cattle.

Cow-bane, water-virosa, or water-hemlock--with rundles or flower branches opposite the leaves, leaf-stalks with blunt borders, with about seven pair of little leaves, which are variously divided and indented, petals, or leaf of the flower, yellowish pale green, grows in shallow waters, is a perennial plant, or that continues from year to year, blows in _July_; this is one of the rankest of our vegetable poisons; numerous instances are recorded of its Fatality to the human species; an account of it may be seen and an engraving in Martin’s Philosophical Transactions, Vol. 10. Early in the spring when it grows in the water, Cows often eat it and are killed by it, but as the Summer advances and its smell becomes stronger, they carefully avoid it; though a certain fatal poison to Cows, Goats devour it greedily and with impunity, Horses and Sheep eat it with safety.

Cow-weed, or wild Cecily, grows in hedges, blows in _May_, or _June_, with white flowers, roots like a Parsnip, and is very poisonous.

Water-wort, Water-hemlock, or Water-skeleton, is esteem’d a fatal poison to Horses, occasioning them to become paralytick, which is owing to an insect called _Curcutia Paraplecticus_, which generally inhabits within the stem; the usual antidote is pig’s dung, the branches of the leaves stradling--stem very thick, hollow, scored, petals or flowers white, grows in rivers, ditches and pools, blossoms in _June_; in the Winter the roots and stem dissected by the influence of the weather, afford a curious skeleton, or network.

Kex, or water-parsnip, with white flowers in _July_ or _August_, grows in rivers and fens, is very noxious to Cattle; also the lesser Kex called upright water-parsnip, in rivers and ditches, is very common; blossoms in _July_ and _August_, leaves halbert shaped, rundles or flower-branch opposite the leaves.

Drop-wort, or dead tongue, grows on the banks of rivers, bears a white flower in _June_, the petals or leaves of the flower sharp--bent inwards, tips purple or brown--the whole of this plant is poisonous, the stem is a yellowish red, the leaves smooth, streaked, jagged at the edges, the root is the rankest and most virulent of all vegetable poisons.

Mithridate--or penny-cress, grows in corn fields with oblong leaves, toothed, smooth, white blossoms; the whole plant has something of a garlick flavour, the seeds have the acrimony or sharpness of mustard; Cows are rather fond of it, and I should think their Milk is often affected by it.

Penny-wort, or white-rot, grows in marshy springy ground, with a pale red flower, blows in _May_; many Farmers suppose it occasions the rot in Sheep, but I should expect that complaint proceeds from a very different cause; though, if flowks that are supposed to be the certain cause of the Rot, or the spawn of them, are taken in with the food of Sheep, as some imagine, it is possible the Ova, or Eggs of this Insect may be deposited in this plant, which to know, may be worth the Farmer’s enquiry.

_Some Account of the_ RUNNET-PLANT.

Yellow Verum--Goose-grass; the Leaves growing by eights, or eight leaves round the stem, strap-shaped--furrowed--the flowering branches short, blossoms yellow.

English Names, are yellow ladies bed-straw or Cheese Renning, or petty muguet; it grows in dry ground, on road sides, very common, is perennial, blows in _July_ or _August_. The flowers will coagulate boiling Milk, and some _Cheshire_ Cheese is said to be made with them; according to an experiment from _Borrchius_ they yield an Acid by distillation. The _French_ prescribe them in hysterick and epileptick cases, boiled in Allum-water they tinge wool yellow, the roots dye a very fine red, not inferior to Madder and are used for this purpose in the _Island_ of _Jura_. See _Pennant’s Tour_, 1772, Page 214. Sheep and Goats eat it, Horses and Swine refuse it, Cows are not fond of it. If the roots will answer the same purpose as Madder it highly merits the observation of _Calico Printers_ and others, who use large quantities of that Article, as it is the most common weed, and what in the month of _July_, there is more of, than any other weed, and if the flowers will dye yellow, and make Cheese, it must be a very valuable Plant and be a great help to the Poor to collect it, as it grows on all road sides, old pastures and hedges in great abundance.

I have omitted giving the Latin names of Plants, not having sufficient knowledge in that Language; but such of my learned readers who with for that addition, may refer either to _Dr. Withering’s_, or other books on _Botany_, to _Chambers_, _Croker_, or other Dictionaries.

_FINIS._

INDEX.

A.

Page.

Annatto, 68

Arsmart, 95, 135

Alcaline, 127

B.

Bulged Cheese, 58

Blister’d Ditto, 35

Blue-pared Ditto, 52, 85

Brine drippings, 43

Bull Cheese, 45

Breaking-curd, 48, 49, 86

Bitter Cheese, 95

Breeders of Cows, 101

Butter, 116

Brick-bat Cheese, 63