A SCENTED MUSK?
Can the new world "redress the balance of the old" in the following small particular detail. A letter reaches me from G. F. Richardson, South Pender, B.C., Canada, containing some musk. He writes : "I thought perhaps the enclosed pieces of wild musk might interest you, as I have seen in the Spectator that musk all over the world had lost its scent. This has not a very strong smell till the leaves are bruised. Possibly that scent will have evaporated by the time this letter reaches you." Now the scent is still strong ; and one of the wonders of the old musk—a wonder vainly investi- gated by men of science—was that the scent was continuous though no loss in weight in the leaf could be detected. The scent of this Canadian plant did not seem to my nose quite the same as that of the old musk, dear in especial to our cottagers ; nor will its rediscovery, alas, satisfy the botanists still seeking all over the world for a scented musk. It is sad to report that a spray of wild mint was picked, let us hope by accident, along with the musk, and is quite scentless!
W. BEACH TimatAs.
Previous page
