On the whole the place to see European weeds is in America. They run
riot here. They are like boys out of school, leaping all bounds. They
have the freedom of the whole broad land, and are allowed to take
possession in a way that would astonish a British farmer. The Scotch
thistle is much rarer in Scotland than in New York or Massachusetts. I
saw only one mullein by the roadside, and that was in Wales, though it
flourishes here and there throughout the island. The London
correspondent, already quoted, says of the mullein: "One will come up in
solitary glory, but, though it bears hundreds of flowers, many years
will elapse before another is seen in the same neighborhood. We used to
say, 'There is a mullein coming up in such a place,' much as if we had
seen a comet; and its flannel-like leaves and the growth of its spike
were duly watched and reported on day by day." I did not catch a glimpse
of blue-weed, Bouncing Bet, elecampane, live-for-ever, bladder campion,
and others, of which I see acres at home, though all these weeds do grow
there. They hunt the weeds mercilessly; they have no room for them. You
see men and boys, women and girls, in the meadows and pastures cutting
them out. A species of wild mustard infests the best grain lands in
June; when in bloom it gives to the oat-fields a fresh canary yellow.
Then men and boys walk carefully through the drilled grain and pull the
mustard out, and carry it away, leaving not one blossom visible.
On the whole, I should say that the British wild flowers were less
beautiful than our own, but more abundant and noticeable, and more
closely associated with the country life of the people; just as their
birds are more familiar, abundant, and vociferous than our songsters,
but not so sweet-voiced and plaintively melodious. An agreeable
coarseness and robustness characterize most of their flowers, and they
more than make up in abundance where they lack in grace.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account