Identifier: sweetscentedflow00mcdo (find matches)
Title: Sweet-scented flowers and fragrant leaves, interesting associations gathered from many sources, with notes on their history and utility
Year: 1895 (1890s)
Authors: McDonald, Donald, 1857-
Subjects: Gardening Flowers Leaves Plants
Publisher: New York, Charles Scribner's sons
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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oughout the world, and all of them are so ornamental andhighly odoriferous, that wherever their introduction is practic-able, it is strongly recommended. The beauty of their myrtle-likeblossoms, their exquisite fragrance, and the successive profusion ofdelicately tinted fruit, give them more than ordinary charms. Theluxuriant Balms of Asia give no more grateful perfume than thissweet-flowering shrub presents, nor does the garland of Florapossess a more simple yet charming blossom than that put forth bythis British hedge beauty. It is said that Hawthorn flow^ers notonly regale the spirits by their spicy odour, but that they possessthe power of attracting and destroying other perfumes. Few trees are more attractive than the sweet May of our Englishhedgerows, and it not only delights our senses with its beauty andperfume, but aflords a cooling shade in sunny fields, under whichits fragrance is diffused in the pure country air. May-day in the rural parts of England is still a lovely and a
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inceut Brooks, Day & Son, Lith. DAPHNE. i SWEET-SMELLING PLANTS 33 merry one, through the most picturesque and romantic of itsancient observances, in which the dainty flowers of this plant takesa leading part. One can readily imagine what a gay scene oldLondon must have been when the doors were decked with Hawthorn,and Robin Hood, Friar Tuck, Maid Marian, and all the otherfantastic dancers were performing their antics round the May-pole,or when all the young men and maidens were off by sunrise to thefields to wash their faces in the dew and gather the May. Everyrural custom which tends to infuse poetical feeling amongst thecountry lads and lasses, to sweeten and soften unpolished rusticmanners without destroying their simplicity, is worthy of encour-agement. The scent of the May blossom is proverbially sweet, and poetshave much to say in its praise ; poor Keats, who was passionatelyfond of the flower, addresses it thus :— So I straightway went to pick a posyOf liixurious May bot

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