Containing an Account of Indigenous Animals, Plants, and Fossils; Vegetables, Part II., pp.238-249.

[History of Rutherglen Contents]

IN Kilbride, both soil and climate are unfavourable for the luxuriant production of exotic plants. Fruit trees very seldom do well: and a flower of any delicacy is hardly to be found. Small fruit comes to much greater perfection than the large. This is ascribed to the cold schistus, or till, that lies at no great depth from the surface; and which greatly injures the roots of large fruit trees, whilst the roots of Currant and Gooseberry bushes, not striking so deep, suffer less hurt. Besides, the trees are much injured by various species of Lichens, which almost wholly cover their bark. This, probably, is owing chiefly to the coldness and stiffness of the soil. The disease of the root greatly hurts the bark, by depriving it of that solidity, and smoothness, which are conducive to the health of the plant. The natural consequence is, that the very minute seeds, of the extremely prolific genus of Lichens, lodge in the blemishes of the bark. In these convenient apartments, replete with proper nourishment, they grow with amazing luxuriancy. That the fertility of the lichen is owing more to the soil than to the climate, appears from this, that some trees and shrubs, of the same species with those that are covered with it, and which are exposed to the same climate, but which happen to grow in a better soil, are greatly exempted. 

IN Rutherglen greater encouragement, both from soil and climate, is given for the cultivation of exotics. The gardens and orchards at Farme, Hamilton-Farm, Hanging-shaw, and Rosebank are in a tolerable condition. 

TO enumerate all the indigenous plants of these parishes, would render this part of the subject unnecessarily prolix. I shall therefore content myself with giving the following List of such as are not very frequently met with in this country.

A LIST

of Scarce Indigenous Plants,

in RUTHERGLEN and KILBRIDE.

¹  Cows eat this plant so plentifully, in the beginning of Summer, that the milk partakes of the taste and smell of garlic. 

²  I mention this plant not because it is rare, but because it has given a proper name to some places in Scotland; as Blawart-hill in the parish of Renfrew. 

³  Although this useful plant grows abundantly in Rutherglen, Cambuslang, Blantyre and some other neighbouring parishes; yet I could not find, in all the parish of Kilbride, more than a specimen or two. The scarcity is probably owing to the exposed situation of the place. 

⁴  Dr. Borlase (Hist. Cornw. p. 230.) says, “that this plant is extremely hurtful to sheep that feed upon it, and of which they eat greedily, wherever they find it. Its hurtful qualities are thought to be owing to an insect, or worm, which, feeding on this herb, lays its eggs on the leaf, and fixes them there by some poisonous gum: the eggs are swallowed with the flower and leaf, and, eluding the menstrua of the stomach, get into the chyle and blood: they are detained in the capillary vessels of the liver, where, meeting with the requisite degree of heat and moisture, they fecundate; the animalcules grow, and there make holes in which several of them lodge together, and feed upon the liver, till it can no longer perform the functions of its station, and the sheep dies. In Cornwall sheep-feeders take all possible care that the sheep may not come near it.” 

⁵  Of this plant I found several specimens, in a wood near Castelmilk, in the month of October 1792. The stalk was about an inch in height, and ⅛ in thickness. It was cylindrical and solid, and grew from a thick tuberculated, or bulbous-like root, without fibres. The pileus was entire, but greatly deflexed on two sides, whilst the other sides were raised up in two regular arches. The margin all round bended upwards with a beautiful curve. The colour was a bright white; but faded a little in the dry state. The substance was wax-like, brittle and soft to the touch. Neither the stalk, nor pileus, was ornamented with furrows, gills or pores; but, when viewed through a magnifying glass, seemed to be covered with a kind of down. All the specimens were growing separately. 

⁶  A whole family, in the parish of Cambuslang, was, a few years ago, poisoned nearly to death, by drinking an infusion of this plant, which, by mistake, had been gathered in place of the Teucrium Scorodonia, or Wood Sage. 

⁷  I have taken the liberty to give this name to a variety of Ribwort, which, in 1790, I found growing at Stonelaw; and a specimen of which I transplanted into Major John Spens’ garden at Rutherglen, where it now grows in great perfection. Every stalk bears about 12 or 15 spikes, which are sessile, and adhere to the base of the main spike. they are, however, well shaped, and bear seed: but whether the seeds will produce the same variety is yet uncertain.