MENTALITY AND SPIRITUALITY 199 



From the earliest history down to the present 

 day, there have been races and individuals who 

 believed implicitly in the spirituality of plants. 

 The old Greeks and Romans gave to the trees and 

 plants the spirits of gods and men; and "many in 

 more modern times have lavishly bestowed souls 

 upon plants, as did Adamson, Bonnet, Hedwig, 

 and Edward Smith. Martius and Fechner, in Ger- 

 many, defended these views, and were very liberal 

 in their supply of souls to plants ..." Surely 

 there is a suggestion of some existent truth, 

 which should cause this universal interest and in- 

 vestigation into the possibility of plant spirituality ! 



Flowers appeal to the souls of men. A very 

 beautiful orchid or rose, the rich perfume of the 

 lily-of-the-valley, or the soft, delicate odour of the 

 wood violet, each has a very direct appeal to the 

 soul of man. Of course, there is a sensuous appeal 

 the rose and the orchid appeal to the sight, the 

 lily-of-the-valley and the violet to the sense of 

 smell but the beauty and the perfume go deeper 

 than the senses. There is a spiritual inspiration in 

 the fairness and sweetness which drives out the un- 

 beautiful, the gross, and the sordid from the soul; 

 which unlifts the spirits with deep joy, with a 

 delirious happiness at times, and arouses the highest 

 and noblest impulses of men. And that which 



