4 THE BOOK OF THE ROSE chap. 



received very nearly every day by post as much as 

 and sometimes more than a penny stamp would 

 frank, of letters from a gentleman whom I had 

 seldom seen, and with whom I had hardly exchanged 

 half-a-dozen sentences by word of mouth. This 

 too during the winter months, and all about Boses ! 



It is pretty well known that another gentleman, 

 with a passionate love for Tea Boses, left his home 

 in Scotland because he could not grow them there, 

 and went searching for a place in Great Britain 

 which should be suitable for their culture ; and, 

 having found such a spot, at very great expense laid 

 out and prepared his grounds to form, as they un- 

 doubtedly do, the finest amateur Tea Bose garden 

 in the country. 



Such instances as these show that the culture of 

 Boses is an occupation that sometimes arouses a 

 great deal of enthusiasm. It will also be seen, from 

 the Calendar of Operations (Chap. XIV), that it 

 affords work and recreation, the whole year round, 

 so that the interest never slackens. And, to anyone 

 who lives in the country, is really fond of flowers, 

 and " wants something to do " — I have known some 

 such — I can strongly recommend the thorough 

 culture of Boses as likely to add much to his 

 enjoyment of life in his garden. 



I may perhaps be excused for thinking that 

 Bose-growing as a special pursuit and a hobby is 

 particularly adapted for country parsons. No one 

 can deny that it is as harmless a pursuit as any that 

 can be found, and, without the least neglecting his 

 sacred calling if his cure be a small one, he can find 

 many half-hours of daylight leisure among his 

 Boses, where his parishioners will soon learn to 



