PARSONAGE GARDENS AD CLERUM 295 



excellent scholarly and religious descriptions it makes 

 a charming little volume. In 1657 Ealph Austin, 

 1 practiser in the art of planting,' published The Spiri- 

 tual Use of an Orchard or Garden of Fruit Trees set forth 

 in divers similitudes between Natural and Spiritual Fruit 

 Trees, in which, though the similitudes are often far- 

 fetched, and the lessons strained, there is much that 

 is well worth reading ; and a little later was Flavel's 

 excellent little book of a similar character, Husbandry 

 Spiritualised. In our own day, The Catholic Florist 

 (1851) is a pleasant little book on the spiritual 

 lessons of flowers, and their association with different 

 saints and saints' days, though sadly marred by fictitious 

 quotations ; and later still we have had similar lessons 

 pleasantly taught to us by Mrs. Gatty and Mrs. Ewing. 



Much might be said on the great pleasures that the 

 science of botany will give to a country life, and much 

 more might also be said on the special advantages of a 

 knowledge of the science and the practical uses of a 

 garden to the country parson, but I will content myself 

 with some words of others who have written on the 

 subject. I have already mentioned The Clergyman's 

 Recreation by Laurence. It is a good little book, but 

 except in the Preface has little specially for the clergy. 

 The Preface is, however, written ad clerum : 



1 To recommend the art of managing a garden to those of 



