INTRODUCTION 



T was a good. idea to gather together much 

 about this delightful theme, happily as free 

 as the clouds from man's power to spoil. 

 And what a mystery as well as charm — wild 

 Roses sweet as the breath of heaven, and as 

 wild Rose of repulsive odour, all born of the earth-mother, 

 and it may be springing from the same spot. Flowers sweet 

 at night and scentless in the day ; flowers of evil odour at 

 one hour and fragrant at another ; plants sweet in breath of 

 blossom, but deadly in leaf and sap ; Lilies sweet as they are 

 fair, and Lilies that must not be let into the house ; bushes 

 in which all that is delightful in odour permeates to every 

 March-daring bud, and so through all the lovely host. The 

 Grant Aliens of the day, who tell us how the Dandelion 

 sprung from the Primrose some millions of years ago, would 

 explain all these things to us, or put long names to them, — 

 what Sir Richard Owen used to call 'conjectural biology'; 

 but we who love our flowers need not care where they leave 

 the question, for to us is given this precious fragrance, 

 happily almost without effort. 



Every fertile country has its fragrant flowers and trees ; 

 alpine meadows Avith Orchids and mountain Violets ; the 

 Primrose-scented woods ; Honeysuckle-wreathed and May- 

 frosted hedgerows of Britain; the Cedars of India and of 



