XIV 



FLORA ODOR AT A 



precious of all, however, are the noble climbing Tea Eoses 

 raised in our own time, mostly in France within the past 

 forty years or so. Among the abortions of this century 

 these are a real gain — the loveliest flowers ever raised by 

 man. Xoble in form and colour, and scented as delicately 

 as a June morn in alpine pastures, with these most precious 

 of garden roses we could cover all the ugly walls in Eng- 

 land and Ireland, and Heaven knows there are many in want 

 of a veil. 



The old Kent and Sussex way of having an orchard near 

 the house was a good one. Planted for use, it was as precious 

 for its beauty, and not only when the spring ^wnds carry 

 the breath of its myriad blossoms of Cherry, Plum, Apple, 

 or Pear. AVe have the fruit odours too, and the faint scent 

 of Strawberries, and later their leaves, and the CiUTant leaves. 

 It would be, in many places, charming to plant a pretty 

 orchard and have the fruit-garden near or alongside — keep- 

 ing the less pleasant evidence of vegetables in the background. 

 These beautiful orchards, too, are where the early Daffodils 

 and Snowdrops appear. Then, with Violets and Primroses 

 on the banks they may be delightfully sheltered from the 

 north and east by a grove of our native evergreens — Holly 

 and Yew — these, in their turn, wreathed here and there 

 with the fragrant autumn Clematis, Honeysuckles, and 

 Climbing Wild Eoses. Of all the things for garden pictures 

 there are none so good as the lovely groups of hardy trees 

 forming our hardy fruits, including the Medlar and Quince, 

 while near might be the Japanese and other handsome Crabs, 

 which have so much beauty of bloom and also brilliant fruit 

 in autumn. 



