as the trout's eye,
Then that fish is in season in the river Wye."

A Yorkshire name for the quaking grass (_Briza media_) is "trembling
jockies," and according to a local proverb:--

"A trimmling jock i' t' house,
An' you weeant hev a mouse,"

This plant being, it is said, obnoxious to mice. According to a
Warwickshire proverb:--

"Plant your sage and rue together,
The sage will grow in any weather."

This list of plant proverbs might easily be extended, but the
illustrations quoted in the preceding pages are a fair sample of this
portion of our subject. Whereas many are based on truth, others are more
or less meaningless. At any rate, they still thrive to a large extent
among our rural community, by whom they are regarded as so many
household sayings.

Footnotes:

1. See Akerman's "Wiltshire Glossary," p. 18.

2. "English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases," pp. 327-8.

3. "Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases," p. 207.

CHAPTER XII.

PLANTS AND THEIR CEREMONIAL USE.

In the earliest period of primitive society flowers seem to have been
largely used for ceremonial purposes. Tracing their history downwards up
to the present day, we find how extensively, throughout the world, they
have entered into sacred and other rites. This is not surprising when we
remember how universal have been the love and admiration for these
choice and lovely productions of nature's handiwork. From being used as
offerings in the old heathen worship they acquired an additional
veneration, and became associated with customs which had important
significance. Hence the great quantity of flowers required, for
ceremonial purposes of various kinds, no doubt promoted and encouraged a
taste for horticulture even among uncultured tribes. Thus the Mexicans
had their famous floating gardens, and in the numerous records handed
down of social life, as it existed in different countries, there is no
lack of references to the habits and peculiarities of the
vegetable world.

Again, from all parts of the world, the histories of bygone centuries
have contributed their accounts of the rich assortment of flowers in
demand for the worship of the gods, which are valuable as indicating how
elaborate and extensive was the knowledge of plants in primitive
periods, and how magnificent must have been the display of these
beautiful and brilliant offerings. Amongst some tribes, too, so sacred
were the flowers used in religious rites held