SPRAT. 173 



men of the spray of the Hawthorn will give an idea 

 of the picturesque, contorted beauty of this delight- 

 ful shrub or tree, as it frequently becomes, when 

 fully grown. Twisted and picturesque, even the 

 youngest spray becomes, and then it is overspread 

 by a purple hue, which produces a fine effect of 

 colour when masses of it are seen in Winter ; but 

 when it has reached maturity, it becomes striking 

 and grand in the contortion of its beauty. The 

 bright red berries, too, clinging to the shoots 

 long after the leaves have fallen, give a charm 

 to its Winter form, which, empurpled by the per- 

 vading colour of the spray, stands out in great 

 richness. 



The ruggedness of the spray of the Apple is its 

 most prominent and picturesque characteristic. 

 Stout, thick, and rough, the bark wrinkled and 

 lichen-covered, the ramification proceeding at all 

 sorts of angles and producing shoots of all sorts 

 of lengths, tipped each with the substantial-look- 

 ing bud, that, embrowned and dead-looking, never- 

 theless encloses branch, leaf, and fruit for the 

 succeeding season, the twig of Apple is a thing of 

 interest. Our artist's illustration is taken from the 



