THE GREAT CLEARANCE 



Grassthat was what Villino Loki most wanted ! And 

 the extirpation of the greatest enemies to grass Brush- 

 wood, Heather, Gorse, and Bracken has been the hardest 

 achievement of all : one which Grandpa is fond of letting 

 every one know is more especially his own. 

 The Great Clearance took place in what may be called 

 the pre-Adamite age of this little Earthly Paradise. Adam 

 <in a kind of fateful way) only appeared upon the scene 

 after the rougher work had been dealt with of letting in 

 the air and light of heaven wherever it had hitherto failed. 

 He arrived, of his own initiative, to offer his services in 

 the matter of gardening, on the very day when his pre- 

 decessorone Grinder, whom on benevolence intent we 

 had allowed to assume the duties of " gardener/ 7 save the 

 mark ! had had at last to be dismissed. 

 The late Grinder, whatever his disqualifications for the 

 honourable title thrust upon him may have been, was 

 undoubtedly a lusty worker. But the Great Clearance 

 was too great a task for one man. It was thus, by the 

 way, that Caliban <likewise now " the late "> was intro- 

 duced as labouring assistant, and, from the nature of his 

 labours, known as the Woodman. 



The elimination of underwoods, however, was by no 

 means the most arduous task. Let once the good light 

 of day and the free airs penetrate to the ground hitherto 

 obscured and choked, and in a given time grass will make 

 its appearance. And it will spread healthily if the lower 

 branches of all standing trees are lopped, up to a suitable 

 height. But we wanted grass not only in the glades, but, 

 if possible, upon every stretch of soil not devoted to 

 flowering beds or ornamental bush. And, to that end, 



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