prevents their blooming, so that they form but few fresh plants from 

 seed. Imperceptibly the dying of the older plants is going on, and the 

 hungry root-fibres of their younger neighbours are feeding on the decay- 

 ing particles washed into the earth. 



But whether lawns could exist at all without the beneficent work of 

 the earthworms is very doubtful. Every one has seen the little heaps of 

 worm-castings upon grass, but it remained for Darwin, after his own long 

 experiment and exhaustive observation, partly based upon and compre- 

 hending the conclusions of other naturalists, to tell us how largely the 

 fertility of our surface soil is due to the unceasing work of these small 

 creatures. Worms swallow large quantities of earth and decaying leaves, 

 and Darwin's observations led him " to conclude that all the vegetable 

 mould over the whole country has passed many times through, and will 

 again pass many times through the intestinal canals of worms." This, 

 indeed, is the only way in which it is possible for a person with any 

 knowledge of the needs of plant-life, to conceive the possibility of any 

 one closely-packed crop occupying the same space of ground for hundreds 

 of years. The soil, as it passes, little by little, through the bodies of 

 the worms, undergoes certain chemical changes which fit it afresh for its 

 ever-renewed work of plant-sustenance. 



There are some who, viewing the castings as an eyesore on their 

 lawns, cast about for means of destroying the worms. This is unwise 

 policy, and would soon lead to the impoverishment of the grass. The 

 castings, when dry, are easily broken down by the roller or the birch- 

 broom, and the grass receives the beneficent top-dressing that assures 

 its well-being and healthy continuance. 



The only part of the garden at Auchincruive that is obedient to 

 rectangular form, is the kitchen garden and the ground about it. The 

 kitchen garden lies some way back from the house and river, and, with 

 its greenhouses, is for the most part hidden by two long old yew hedges 

 which run in the direction of the river. One of these appears in the 

 picture, with its outer ornament of bright border of autumn flowers. 

 Here are Tritomas, Gypsophila in mist-like clouds, tall Evening Primrose 

 and Campanula pyramidalis, both purple and white, with many other 

 good hardy flowers. 



105 o 



