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271
The Folk-lore of Plants
·
T. F. Thiselton-Dyer
121
"The
higher
the
hill
the
lower
the
grass."
And
equally
familiar
is
the
following:--
"While
the
grass
groweth
the
seely
horse
starveth."
In
connection
with
hops,
the
proverb
runs
that
"hops
make
or
break;"
and
no
hop-grower,
writes,
Mr.
Hazlitt,[3]
"will
have
much
difficulty
in
appreciating
this
proverbial
dictum.
An
estate
has
been
lost
or
won
in
the
course
of
a
single
season;
but
the
hop
is
an
expensive
plant
to
rear,
and
a
bad
year
may
spoil
the
entire
crop."
Actions
which
produce
different
results
to
what
are
expected
are
thus
spoken
of:--
"You
set
saffron
and
there
came
up
wolfsbane."
In
Devonshire
it
may
be
noted
that
this
plant
is
used
to
denote
anything
of
value;
and
it
is
related
of
a
farmer
near
Exeter
who,
when
praising
a
certain
farm,
remarked,
"'Tis
a
very
pretty
little
place;
he'd
let
so
dear
as
saffron."
Many,
again,
are
the
proverbial
sayings
associated
with
roses--most
of
these
being
employed
to
indicate
what
is
not
only
sweet
and
lovely,
but
bright
and
joyous.
Thus,
there
are
the
well-known
phrases,
"A
bed
of
roses,"
and
"As
sweet
as
a
rose,"
and
the
oft-quoted
popular
adage:--
"The
rose,
called
by
any
other
name,
would
smell
as
sweet,"
Which,
as
Mr.
Hazlitt
remarks,
"although
not
originally
proverbial,
or
in
its
nature,
or
even
in
the
poet's
intention
so,
has
acquired
that
character
by
long
custom."
An
old
adage,
which
is
still
credited
by
certain
of
our
country
folk,
reminds
us
that:--
"A
parsley
field
will
bring
a
man
to
his
saddle
and
a
woman
to
her
grave,"
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