A HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE The Trent now makes a sharp turn to the north and takes the direction of the Tame at the confluence. After a further flow of 6 miles it reaches Burton-on-Trent, and 2 miles lower receives the Dove. The area drained by the Trent is about 800 square miles, and in a distance of about 50 miles the bed of the river has fallen from 700 feet above sea to 1 80 feet, most part of this fall of 520 feet occurring in the first n miles, between the source and the confluence with Fowlea brook, where the bed of the stream is not more than 370 feet above sea. The mean fall of the first 5 miles of the Trent is at the rate of nearly 50 feet to the mile, and of the next five of 18 feet. After this the fall nowhere exceeds 8 feet to a mile. The following are some of the more noteworthy species : Myosurus minimus Rosa rubiginosa Habenaria conopsca Ranunculus Lingua Sedum Telephium Galanthus nivalis Cheiranthus Cheiri Drosera intermedia Fritillaria Meleagris Lepidium ruderale Carum segetum Acorus Calamus Dianthus Armeria Sambucus Ebulus Triglochin maritimum Hypericum elodes Carduus eriophorus Scirpus pauciflorus Radiola Millegrana Lactuca virosa Agrostis fulvus Genista anglica Campanula hederacea Polypodium Dryopteris Trifolium striatum Andromedia polifolia Lycopodium Selago Rubus suberectus Linaria repens Nitella flexilis micans Scutellaria minor opaca Rosa mollis Orchis pyramidalis 4. THE Sow The Sow rises about I mile south-west of Hookham in a spring called Sowhead, 617 feet above sea, and flows south by Bishop's Wood and New Inn Bank ; here its course turns eastward above Bishop's Offley and through Copmere and north of Eccleshall, where it re- ceives a stream coming from the north near Foxley ; still flowing south-east to Worston Mill it is joined by a considerable stream, Meece brook, from the north-west. The Meece origi- nates from three small streams south-west of Keel Park ; these unite near Whitmore, passing through the large pool in Whitmore Park and running parallel with the railway for several miles, flowing through Mill Mease and Norton Bridge, receiving tributaries on either side and draining a wide area east and west. The Sow now flows through Great Bridgeford and Stafford, being fed by waters from Seighford and on the east from Marstone. Below Stafford the Penk enters its right bank from the south-west. The Penk rises north-west of Wolver- hampton, and is joined by Billbrook near Codsall, and flows north through Brewood and Penk- ridge, bringing waters from Teddesley, Acton Trussell and Radford, north of which village it enters the Sow, draining a wide extent of country around Gnosall and Biymhill and the west portion of Cannock Chase. The Sow continues to flow south-east to its union with the Trent at Great Heywood, at an elevation of 238 feet above the sea. The Sow has a course of 2O miles, draining about 150,130 acres; it flows through a comparatively flat country and has a fall of about 380 feet. The following are some of the more noticeable plants : Ranunculus hirsutus Rubus Boreanus Glaux maritima Sisymbrium Sophia crineger Limosella aquatica Lepidium hirtum - Bloxamianus Orobanche major Cerastium quaternellum Rosa coriifolia Quercus sessiliflora Geranium lucidum Myriophyllum verticillatum Sparganium minimum Erodium moschatum CEnanthe Phellandrium Sagittaria sagittifolia Elatine Hydropiper Anthemis nobilis Calamagrostis lanceolata Euonymus europaeus Specularia hybrida Pilularia globulifera Onobrychis sativa Pyrola rotundifolia Chara fragilis 5. THE SEVERN The Severn drains a large portion of the west and south-west of Staffordshire by small streams, which are the tributaries of larger streams flowing in Shropshire ; that portion of the county south-west of Wolverhampton is watered by the two small rivers, the Smestow and Stour. The river Tern is a brook-like stream, forming the boundary between Shropshire and Staffordshire for many miles, that is from Willoughby Wells to a point south-east of Market 48
