The Meadow-Sweet 



pollen before their own stigmas are prepared to 

 receive it. They blossom during June, July and 

 August. 



Though the flowers gain the chief credit for the 

 plant's fragrance — " The almond-scented Meadow- 

 sweet whose plumes of powerful odour incense all 

 the air " — yet the same aromatic principle runs 

 through the whole plant. The leaves used to be 

 put into claret to give a fine relish to it, and they 

 have a pleasant flavour like orange-flower water. 

 In olden days the Meadow-sweet stood very high in 

 estimation for a strewing herb. " The leaves and 

 flowres excell all other strowing herbes for to deck 

 up houses, to straw in chambers, halls and banquet- 

 ing' houses in the summer time," says Gerard, " for 

 the smell thereof makes the heart merrie, delighting 

 the senses ; and neither does it cause headache, 

 or lothsomenesse to meat, as some other sweet 

 smelling herbes do." On the other hand, a more 

 modem flower-writer, though agreeing as to its 



harmlessness and delightfulness in the open air, 

 62 89 



