Buttercups and yellow butter

It was widely believed that the buttercups covering the meadows in May gave the butter its rich yellow colour at that season. John Aikin, quoted by Hone, said the belief was mistaken, since cows would not touch the plant because of its sharp, biting taste. In grazed pastures the tufts of buttercup were left standing, flowering and seeding in perfect safety while all the grass round them was cropped to the roots.