Wanted—a Flower Sanctuary

Abstract

ON revisiting Cheddar last month, after eight years, I was horrified to find that plants of Cheddar Pink and Thalictrum were being offered for sale to visitors. Everyone knows that, when once this sort of thing is begun, extermination is only a question of time; and in the case of the Cheddar Pink I am afraid that it will be a question of a short time only; and then this beautiful plant will be lost to the English flora. The case is not nearly so serious as regards the Thalictrum; but all lovers of Cheddar would grieve to see this plant becoming rarer. It is important to add, also, that there is just one patch of the Welsh Poppy in Cheddar Gorge, and that this is so situated that an enterprising dealer could exterminate it entirely in a couple of hours or so. I am not aware that this plant has yet been taken for sale; and it is not a very hopeful subject for transplantation, perhaps; but, when once the dealer has begun his nefarious work, one never knows to what lengths he may proceed. I should like, therefore, to urge very strongly that any naturalists and nature-lovers, who may have any means of bringing influence to bear upon the Somersetshire County Council, should lose no time in petitioning that body to “proclaim” these plants and prohibit their removal, especially for sale. There would be no need to interfere with botanists who gather specimens, or with residents and visitors who may wish to take bunches of flowers: but what is essential is that the rooting-up of the plants should be stopped, and that without loss of time.