FRAGRANT LEAVES V. SWEET-SCENTED FLOWERS. I37 



When we look back a long way in the world's history, we 

 may get a glimpse of those great primaeval foundation stones — 

 the five senses — on which all subsequent human intelligence 

 and culture are superimposed. Since man first existed on the 

 earth his nose has helped his eyes in the selection of his food, 

 and this is a trait general to all the higher animals. If you 

 give any of the larger apes some edible substance of which he 

 has no previous experience, he at once tests it with his nose 

 after seeing it, and by the nose — the sense of smell — very 

 largely all the animals are guided ; and we ought, I think, to 

 cultivate this primitive instinct and be guided by it ourselves 

 more keenly than we do. 



At a very early period in man's history it would appear as 

 though his senses, or instincts, and his reasoning powers were 

 very unequally balanced, so that the senses often overpowered 

 the mind. Savage man develops his brain mainly through the 

 exercise of his senses ; but a cultured man of to-day prides 

 himself on his self-abnegation or altruism, and so his senses are 

 developed and educated only under the brake -power influence of 

 his brain. In a word the senses are very apt to say to us, " It 

 is a lovely morning ; let us go out and shoot something " ; but 

 our higher mental nature whispers, " No ! Let us try to make 

 all beautiful living things as happy as we can." Remembering 

 this dual nature in ourselves, the conflict between the animal 

 instincts and our reasoning powers, I think you will see that it 

 is extremely probable that men and women of old were led to 

 enjoy and use sweet-smelling natural products instinctively long- 

 before they could perceive any sanitary value in perfumes. 



So much, then, for the early history, and you will naturally 

 ask me what I have to say about sweet-scented leaves. Well, 

 my object to-day is to try and persuade you, and all gardeners, 

 to place a higher value on sweet-smelling leaves than even 

 some of you do already. I want you to rate all fragrant foliage 

 quite as highly as you now profess to value sweet-scented 

 blossoms. I also wish to point out some of the essential 

 differences, and advantages, even of foliage leaves, as opposed 

 to those floral leaves we call flowers. I am also particularly 

 anxious to try and show that there is a sanitary basis, rather 

 than a merely sensuous reason, for the usage of sweet odours 

 .and vegetable perfumes, whether the same be fresh or dried, 

 living, dead, or distilled. 



