172 IN A GLOUCESTERSHIRE GARDEN 



arc sweet-scented, while a very few lilies are so ; moat 

 of them arc scentless, and some arc quite offensive ; 

 ami the lily doc* not )>oar picking as the rose does. 

 A rose-bush in full flower can spare many flowers and 

 vet not lose its be.iuty ; you cannot pick single flowers 

 from a spike of lilies without spoiling iu symmetry, 

 ami it in almost * cruelty to cut clown the spikes 

 entirely, for they can only be utilised in tall vases. 



In another respect, too, lilies are curiously different 

 from rose*. I know of only two species which produce 

 double flower*, the white ami the pom pone, and these 

 doubles are both ugly. Hut the nutes seem to have a 

 natural tendency to vary with double flower* ; they 

 can U counted by hundreds, and are increasing every 

 year, and they are all beautiful flower*. 



Though I know by experience, the difficulty <f grow- 

 ing manv of the lilies, and though I recognise that in 

 some point* they fall short of the popularity .f the 

 rose, yet I would advise all to try as many species as 

 they can procure. They will not succfd with all, but 

 success with any will give a character to any garden. 

 I am not very successful with them, yet no flowers that 

 I grow give more pleasure to my friends and myself, 

 or add so much to the gaiety f the garden. I think 

 that Englishmen never have for the lily the same affec- 

 tion that they have for the ruse, their feeling for it is 



