MY SUMMER IX A GARDEN. 179 



in a considerable portion of my garden- 

 patch. It contests the ground inch by 

 inch ; and digging it out is very much 

 such labor as eating a piece of choke- 

 cherry-pie with the stones all in. It is 

 work, too, that I know by experience I 

 shall have to do alone. Every man 

 must eradicate his own devil-grass. The 

 neighbors who have leisure to help you 

 in grape-picking time are all busy when 

 devil-grass is most aggressive. My 

 neighbors visits are well timed : it is 

 only their hens which have all seasons 

 for their own. 



I am told that abundant and rank 

 weeds are signs of a rich soil; but I 

 have noticed that a thin, poor soil 

 grows little but weeds. I am inclined 

 to think that the substratum is the same, 

 and that the only choice in this world is 

 what kind of weeds you will have. I 

 am not much attracted by the gaunt, 



