Above us, in the hedge, are two of the sweetest flowers of the farm.  The pink Dog Rose is one.  The petals of each blossom are five in number—­what a number of five-petalled flowers we have seen!  The leaves have five, or sometimes seven, serrated leaflets, one of which is always at the end of the leaf stem.  These leaflets are not always perfectly straight; sometimes the pointed end turns a good deal to one side.

Of course we want to gather some of the flowers—­who does not want to gather Roses?  We want some fully opened blossoms and many of the dainty buds.  But the straggling stems of the Rose soon teach us the truth of the proverb:  “No Rose without a Thorn.”  The stems are thickly covered with thorns; these are not only sharp, but hooked as well, and we do not get our bunch of roses without a scratch or two.

The other beauty of the hedge is the Honey-suckle—­a lovely flower which may also be a dangerous weed.  The tight grasp of its strong twining stem will soon seriously injure any young tree to which it clings.  Here it is doing little harm, and we need only think of the clusters of fragrant flowers.  Each cluster grows at the end of a stalk.  Some are pale pink, others golden yellow, while some are almost white.  After the blossom comes the bright red berry which contains the seed.  The leaves grow in pairs.  Those low down on the stem have leaf stalks, but the upper ones are sessile on the stem.

Taking care not to trample the grass, we have strolled down the hedge-side till we have reached the other end of the field, where there is a ditch.  At once there is a fragrant scent in the air—­a scent like that of almonds.  It is the Meadow Sweet which grows on the banks of streams or damp ditches.

[Illustration:  MEADOW SWEET.]

It is a beautiful plant, as well as a fragrant one.  At the top of the tall stems are large clusters of small five-petalled flowers, creamy-white.  The stem itself is handsome; it is often three or four feet high, smooth, stout, and of a reddish colour.  The large leaves grow alternately on the stem; they are made up of several pairs of leaflets with a single leaflet at the end.  The upper surface of the leaves is dark green, but the under side is generally covered with a soft white down.

The scent of Meadow Sweet is very pleasant in the field to-day, but I think we should find it rather too strong if we took a bunch into the house.  Yet Queen Elizabeth is said to have loved Meadow Sweet strewn on the floors of her apartments.

CHAPTER IX

IN THE CORN-FIELD

One morning early in July, while we are having breakfast at Willow Farm, we ask Mr. Hammond if he thinks we shall find any flowers in his wheat-field.  The farmer laughs and says he hopes we shall not, but he is very much afraid that we shall.  As we are here on purpose to look for flowers we are glad to find them anywhere.  Mr. Hammond thinks more about his crops than about flowers, and does not care to see a single blossom in his corn, however pretty it may be.