TURF AND WEEDS OF OLD LEYTONSTONE GARDEN. 253
Twitch (Triticum repens L.). On waste ground and allotments,
too common.
Rye Grass (Lolium perenne L.). On waste ground.
Wall Barley (Hordeum murinum L.). On waste ground.
Where do most of our familiar weeds come from ? Dr.
Praeger writes in his little book on "Weeds" :—"The history
"of weeds is the history of agriculture. Ever since the peoples
"of the Stone Age first began to till the ground, weeds and
"crops have gone hand in hand ; and man's migratory move-
"ments, his wars, and later his trade have all played their
"part in assisting in the spreading of his enemies the weeds . . .
"Many of our cornfield weeds came from the Mediterranean
"region, when the removal of forests and the ploughing of the
"land destroyed the plant societies that hitherto held the
"ground, and allowed the fleeting annual plants to spread
"over the country. Many of the Mediterranean plants them-
"selves have probably come from the east, spreading along
"the ancient trade-routes, helped by caravans and by marching
"armies and their baggage trains. A European weed which
"we trample under foot may owe its introduction to Alexander
"or Hannibal, Caesar or Alaric, and may indeed represent one
"of the remaining traces of empire-making marches. It is
"known that the Crusaders brought back with them into Europe
"certain weeds hitherto unknown there, while in modern times
"increasing intercourse between different parts of the world has
"been accompanied by a copious interchange of weeds between
"widely separated countries."
Thus the history of our weeds, when it can be traced, is one
of romance and opens up wide vistas. It is hoped that these
notes may incite others whose gardens are on different soils
from our gravels to observe the plants composing the turf of their
lawns and the weeds of their cultivated ground, for we know
that what may be abundant in one locality may be unknown or
rare in another. In any case the notes form a record of an old
suburban garden which is not likely to be kept up after our time.
Polygonia c-album in Essex.—Mr. H. Mothersole captured a speci-
men of the now-uncommon Comma Butterfly at Chelmsford in September,
1934: this specimen is now in the Stratford Museum. Mr. M. E. Miller
also records (in Entom. Record for November, 1934) a specimen in his
garden at Chelmsford on August 27th, 1934.—Editor.