Local Elms
In a very pleasant and dainty book of poems, Flowers of Fancy (by that ardent botanist, George Montagu, Earl of Sandwich), there is an address to " Huntingdonshire Elms." Now in early days I frequently heard the phrase, " Huntingdonshire Oaks," by which term the wich-ehn was glorified. I have often wondered at such a use. The elm, of several varieties, is, with the oak, the prevailing tree of that small shire, and the lovely garden of Hinchingbrooke is set in the midst of both species. Another local word, " kecksies," heads another of the many botanical verses. Neither this word nor its shorter form kex seems to be generally known, though it is used by Shakespeare. It covers, I think, the chervils, hogweeds, pignuts, parsleys and hoc genus omne.
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