242 THE FRUITS OF THE COUNTRY-SIDE 



the standard ; beneath this two others, known as the 

 wings ; and within and below these are yet two others, 

 that together form the keel. 



Gerard and other old writers warmly commend the 

 flower-buds as a pickle. " They are to be gathered, 

 and laid in pickle or salt, which afterwards being washed 

 or boyled, are vsed for sallads, as Capers be, and be 

 eaten with no lesse delight." We also read that " that 

 worthy Prince of famous memorie Henry 8, King of 

 England, was woont to drinke the distilled water of 

 Broome floures against surfets and diseases thereof arising." 

 The great worthiness and illustrious memory of this 

 famous sovereign are points that the author, living in 

 the reign of his daughter, thought it well to make quite 

 clear. 



The fruit of the broom is a pod, a form as 

 characteristic of the fruit as the butterfly flowers are of 

 the blossoms of this great order. These pods in the 

 broom are flat, and from an inch and a half to two 

 inches long ; smooth on their sides, but hairy along their 

 edges. They are full of seeds, and as these approach 

 maturity the pods become a dark brown. Later on, 

 when the seeds are all discharged and the pods yet 

 remain on the plant, they turn to a cold grey-black. 

 When the seeds are ready for dispersion we may hear 

 the crackling of the pods all around us as the valves 

 fly open and eject the seed. In our illustration it will 

 be seen that the upper pod has thus opened with this 

 curious elasticity and propelling force. 



This question of seed-dispersion is of the greatest interest 

 and worthy of the closest study, as an illustration of the 



