• By Ron Freethy
• Hardback, 152 pages
• Published by The Crowood Press
• ISBN: 0-946284-51-2

Ron Freethy’s From Agar to Zenry examines the great variety of plant uses over the years, ranging from herbal remedies and country recipes, to the uses of plants in medicine and industry today. Freethy considers the validity of the traditional beliefs and folklore relating to plants and trees, traces the origins of plant names, and also discusses a number of woodland crafts such as charcoal burning and bodging. The author has gathered a great deal of information from the ‘green cunning’ of his great-grandmother, who loved the countryside and “treated it as larder and medicine chest”.

From Agar to Zenry begins with a discussion on plants in history, covering aspects such as the time when knowledge of plants was essential for survival, and the knowledge of herbalists being lost due to religious persecution. The book is then sectioned into the following chapters: Plants of the Sea, Plants of the Coast, Woodland Trees, Woodland Shrubs and Herbs, Plants of the Fields and Hedgerows, Plants of the Hills and Moors, Plants of the Riverside, and Collecting and Storing Plants for Herbal and Culinary Uses. Each chapter begins with an introduction to the different types of terrain he studies, often scattered with anecdotes about the time he spent foraging with his great-grandmother. The chapters are then divided into sections for each plant, where its common and Latin name are given, along with local variations of the name. A variety of information is then given on each plant, such as physical description, possible origins of its names, uses in crafts and industries, recipes, medicinal uses, and notes on the history of the plant (particularly relating to traditional beliefs). Most of the plant and tree descriptions are accompanied by line-and-wash drawings. For example, the chapter on Woodland Trees begins with information on woodland industries such as charcoal burning, chair bodging, besom making, hurdle making and tanning, before delving deeper into the attributes of the trees themselves, and their historic uses, such as the importance of the Oak tree to the Druids.

I find that learning about the folklore regarding plants and trees adds an interesting dimension to bushcraft, and the origins of the names of plants can have some fascinating stories behind them. The extra bits of information such as this given in the book have made it easier for me to remember certain aspects about the plants. Folk stories and anecdotes about the plants can also make it a more appealing topic when trying to teach plant identification to others.

The book covers a very wide variety of plants, trees, and seaweed, and also a good mix of uses for them, covering recipes, medicinal and practical uses.

It can be said that the information given in the book is of good quality, as it has come from a woman who lived a life of ‘green cunning’ until her death at the age of one hundred and four!

One downside of the book is that it contains line drawings rather than photos, and not every plant mentioned has its own drawing. This then means that the book serves better to reaffirm plant identification knowledge that you already have, rather than to allow you to identify new plants. Freethy was aware that his book was not entirely comprehensive, and recommends some reliable reference books in his introductory note.

As it is quite an old book, it may prove difficult to obtain a copy (although if you do find it second-hand, it will be cheap!).

The book contains a wealth of folk stories and traditions, which may not be to the liking of some bushcrafters who prefer more definite, practical information.

From Agar to Zenry is quite a chunky, hardback book, which means it is not very handy for carrying out and about on a plant identification/foraging stroll.

Conclusion

From Agar to Zenry covers a great deal of information in one book. The stories, folklore and anecdotes make the information very easy to digest. While this book is not an absolute essential for your bushcraft library, it’s certainly an enjoyable read, and it’s possible to glean a lot of information and knowledge from it.

4 out of 6

Review by Heulwen Thomas


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