230 WOOD AND GARDEN 



thick mass of grassy foliage which rises high above the 

 bloom ; but they are worth looking for, for the sake 

 of the sweet and rather penetrating scent, which is 

 exactly like that of a perfectly-ripened plum. 



All the scented flowers of the Primrose tribe are 

 delightful — Primrose, Polyanthus, Auricula, Cowslip. 

 The actual sweetness is most apparent in the Cowslip ; 

 in the Auricula it has a pungency, and at the same 

 time a kind of veiled mystery, that accords with the 

 clouded and curiously-blended colourings of many of 

 the flowers. 



Sweetbriar is one of the strongest of the year's 

 early scents, and closely following is the woodland 

 incense of the Larch, both freely given off and far- 

 wafted, as is also that of the hardy Daphnes. The 

 first quarter of the year also brings the bloom of most 

 of the deciduous Magnolias, all with a fragrance nearly 

 allied to that of the large one that blooms late in 

 summer, but not so strong and heavy. 



The sweetness of a sun-baked bank of Wallflower 

 belongs to April. Daffodils, lovely as they are, must 

 be classed among flowers of rather rank smell, and yet 

 it is welcome, for it means spring-time, with its own 

 charm and its glad promise of the wealth of summer 

 bloom that is soon to come. The scent of the Jonquil, 

 Poeticus, and Polyanthus sections are best. Jonquil 

 perhaps best of all, for it is without the rather coarse 

 scent of the Trumpets and Nonsuch, and also escapes 

 the penetrating lusciousness of jpoeticus and Tazetta, 



