COLOUR IN MY GARDEN 



And they who value Flowers chiefly for their Smell, may 

 supply themselves with Perfumes, and not upbraid this 

 Queen of Flowers for want of that Quality, which abrogates 

 not in the least from her Beauty nor renders her less 

 pleasing in a Florist's Eye. Let them consider, besides, 

 that what seems to some a pleasant Smell, stinks in the 

 Nostrils of others, nay, many cannot endure the most 

 fragrant Perfumes without a great Alteration in their 

 Bodies, as infinite Examples and daily Experience convince 

 us. The Lovers therefore of sweet Scents ought not to 

 reproach the Tulip with this as with a Defect, seeing Nature 

 has been so lavishly bountiful to her in other Respects and 

 given her wherewithal to satisfy a far more noble Sense, 

 and to make us admire in her the exceeding Power of the 

 Donor." 



Nevertheless, in spite of Van Osten's brave plea the lack 

 of sweetness is the Tulip's one defect. A few, however, are 

 endowed with a peculiarly fresh and uncloying fragrance, 

 and whenever I come across one of these I feel that I have 

 received a gift. 



Darwin Tulips, as far as my knowledge of them goes, are 

 quite without scent. The old English Cottage Tulips, 

 however, from which so many handsome forms have been 

 developed, were once praised for their fine, sweet scent, 

 but alas, in the work of "improvement" this quality, with 

 their simpler garment, has to a large degree fallen from 

 them. Some that retain their fragrance are: La Merveille, 

 Primrose Beauty, Orange King, Gala Beauty, Ellen Will- 

 mott, Emerald Gem, Lion d' Orange, Macrospeila, Mrs. 

 Moon, Mrs. Kneightly, and others of the Gesneriana group. 



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