[The “Orcheston Grass” has long been famous as one of the most singular vegetable products of this country. From the time of Fuller, who particularly mentions it in his “Worthies of England”, many varying and exaggerated accounts of it have been published: but in the year 1798 Dr. Maton carefully examined the grass, and fully investigated the peculiar circumstances of soil and locality which tend to its production. He contributed the result of his inquiries to the Linnæan Society, in a paper which is printed in the fifth volume of their Transactions. Some comments on that paper, and on the subject generally, by Mr. Davis, of Longleat, will be found in the second volume of the Beauties of Wiltshire, p. 79. That gentleman states that “its extraordinary length is produced by the overflowing of the river on a warm gravelly bed, which disposes the grass to take root and shoot out from the joints, and then root again, and thus again and again; so that it is frequently of the length of ten or twelve feet and the quantity on the land immense, although it does not stand above two feet high from the ground”. Although the meadow at Orcheston St. Mary in which this grass grows is only two acres and a half in extent, its produce in a favourable season, is said to have exceeded twelve tons of hay. Shakspere, to whom all natural and rural objects were familiar, alludes to the “hindering knot-grass”, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act iii. sc. 2. Ramsons (allium ursinum, fl. albo): tast like garlick: they grow much in Cranbourn Chace. A proverb:— “Eate leekes in Lide,* and ramsins in May, And all the yeare after physitians may play”. * March. [I have seen this old proverb printed, “Eat leekes in Lent, and raisins in May, &c.”—J. B.] No wild oates in Wiltshire, or rarely. In Somersetshire, common. (There is abundance of wild oats in the middle part of Wiltsh., especially in the west clay of Market Lavington field, when the crop is barley.—BISHOP TANNER.) Thorowax beares a pretty little yellow flower, not much unlike the blowing of a furze that growes so common on the downes, close to the ground: the bees love it extremely. (There is a mistake in thorowax, or perfoliata; for that rises to a good stature, and hath no such flower. I suppose the plant you mean is trifolium corniculatum, or bird’s-foot trefoil.—J. RAY.) The right honorable James, Earle of Abingdon, tells me that there are plenty of morillons about Lavingtons, which he eates, and sends to London. Methinkes ’tis a kind of ugly mushroom. Morillons we have from Germany and other places beyond sea, which are sold here at a deare rate; the outer side is like a honeycombe. I have seen them of nine inches about They grow near the rootes of elmes. Poppy (papaver) is common in the corn fields; but the hill above Harnham, by Salisbury, appeares a most glorious scarlet, it is so thick there.