orth
the struggle; the knowledge and the power are the greater glories."

VII

COMMON WEEDS

What a delight it would be if we could garden without weeds. But that is
well-nigh impossible. For these rascals, the weeds, are such persistent
fellows, so clever in their devices for getting over the surface of the
earth, so able to live where nothing else in the plant world can live,
that it is a discouraging matter to attempt to exterminate them. They
always seem to me like pushing sort of people trying to live among those
who do not want them. Then, too, they crowd the better class of
inhabitants out.

"There are a certain number of plants which we always looked upon as
weeds, such as burdock and wild carrot, for example. But if a beautiful
garden plant should persist in living and spreading itself over our
vegetable garden, then that, too, would become a weed. Over across the
sea in England the poppy grows wild in the fields. It looks very
beautiful to the traveler, because it makes lovely red splashes of
colour through the field. But I doubt very much if it looks really
attractive to the farmer. These things depend largely, do they not, upon
one's point of view?

"Even a question like weeds we have no right to look at from one point
of view only. The good points of weeds do not balance up the bad points;
but it is well to give even weeds their due. Rid the world of weeds and
unless these despoiled spots were cultivated, think of the great waste
places there would be over the earth's surface. The weeds shade the
ground thus preventing too great surface evaporation. Then the weeds are
a signal to farmers and all gardeners to get busy. We people of the
world are lazy, just naturally so, and perhaps if there were no weeds we
might cultivate the soil too little. Years ago certain weeds were much
used in medicine. This is more or less true, to-day. The dandelion with
its bitter secretion was good, it was believed, for the liver, a sort of
spring tonic. The Department of Agriculture has printed a pamphlet on
'Weeds Used in Medicine' (Farmers' Bulletin, No. 188). Jack and Jay each
sent for a copy last spring. You all might start a garden library with
these pamphlets for a basis. They are sent to you free and are
invaluable in your work. Get together all the helps you can on the
subject you are studying. Boys and girls receive free so much in the
present day that it seems a shame not to make use of these things. The