Dog Violet

John Gerard the 16C herbalist named this flower thus, the latin being Viola canina. This species is unscented and sometimes called "blue mice", "shoes and stockings" or "pig violet". The description "dog" means an inferior form of the plant, the garden varieties presumably being the superior ones. The lane in a wooded area was covered with these violets together with the white ones and of course, best of all, primroses.

The sun shone today and we took ourselves off for a walk in the afternoon. T and J sorted out the cattle going to Frome Market tomorrow morning and then continued working the ground. The pair eventually appeared for their supper at 9.30pm, tired and ready for an early night.