SEPTEMBER 99 



some as the red-fruited species. Then there are the 

 rose hips, and among the many species of roses (there 

 are about forty species, with many intermediate varie- 

 ties) there is as much difference in the hips as in the 

 flower and foliage ; indeed, there is more, for there are 

 many species which at first sight are very similar in 

 flower and leaf, but are totally dissimilar in the hip. 

 I know of no rose that is not beautiful as seen in full 

 fruit; but there are three or four that stand out as 

 specially to be noted. The Japanese roses (B. rugosa) 

 are perhaps the most admired when in fruit, but the 

 apple rose, which is only a large-fruited variety of the 

 English Rosa villosa, is as beautiful. The hips of the 

 Rosa grandiflora, which is apparently the Siberian form 

 of our Burnet rose or Scotch briar, are of the deepest 

 black ; while the hips of the Indian R. microphylla are 

 as large as those of the Japanese rose, but quite dis- 

 tinct. Here this rose grows well, and is beautiful in 

 flower and foliage, but it will not ripen its fruit; 

 whereas at Kew it produces abundance of fruit as large 

 as small apples, and very sweet scented. But to enter 

 into the endless variety of the shapes and colours of 

 the seed-vessels of different plants would require a 

 volume. I merely mention these to show that they 

 are in many cases as pleasant to the eye of the casual 

 observer as they are interesting subjects of thought to 



