588 



THE NATURE BOOK 



spring, when its dark twigs seem almost 

 black in contrast with the porcelain white- 

 ness of the flowers. The chilly beauty of 

 these, with no softening backgromid of 

 fohage, seen only against Blackthorn 

 twigs, and at a time when east winds 

 chietlv prevail, seems to lay emphasis on 

 the harshness of this particular time of 



BUDS OF BLACKTHORN ON LONG 

 SHOOT AND ON SPURS. 



3'ear, known for that reason as " the 

 Blackthorn winter." The late P. G. 

 Hamerton said, " a single Blackthorn 

 can chill the edge of a forest." 



The twigs are stiffly branched, and 

 strongly armed with thorns. The buds 

 are arranged spirally on these. They 

 appear often in groups of three. Each 

 little bud is rounded and blunt. The 

 l)uds are crowded on the short spurs. 

 The leaf-scar is elliptical. The leaves are 

 oval, pointed at the base and at tlic lip. 



with their margins evenly and finely 

 toothed. They have a strong mitlrib, but 

 the six or eight pairs of secondary ribs 

 are weak. The autumn colour of the 

 leaves is yellow to reddish. The flowers 

 grow singly on short stalks, but in close 

 ranks, and appear before the leaves. 

 Looked at closely, each flower is \-ery 

 beautiful, with its pure white petals, up- 

 holding, as it were, the central expand- 

 ing tuft of stamens, each of which is 

 topped as with gold. The fruit is nearly 

 round, hke a small black grape, but stand- 



LEAVES OF THE BULLACE. 



ing single and erect, and covered with a 

 waxy bloom. This bloom is easily rubbed 

 off, and has generally disappeared by the 

 time the fruit is ripe. 



THE BULLACE 



The Bullace may be regarded as a 

 variety of the Blackthorn. The follow- 

 ing points may be noted for comparison. 



The twigs are stouter and downy. 

 They have but few thorns. The buds 

 are longer and pointed, downy also. The 

 leaves are somewhat broader, with larger 

 serrations. The larger flowers grow in 

 pairs, and open both before and with the 

 lea\'es. The fruit is more oval, larger, 

 sometimes yellow in colour. It hangs 

 down from the twig. 



THE WILD PLUM 



The Wild Plum is proliably a mere 

 escape from culti\-ation. The twigs are 

 greenisli to lirown. and smooth. There 

 are no thorns. Tlic buds are large and 



