112 PKOSEEPINA. 



prolific to encumber ; and of whose perverse and unwel- 

 come sowing we know, and can say assuredly, " An enemy 

 hath done this." 



10. Again. The character of strength which gives 

 prevalence over others to any common plant, is more or 

 less consistently dependent on woody fibre in the leaves ; 

 giving them strong ribs and great expanding extent ; or 

 spinous edges, and wrinkled or gathered extent. 



Get clearly into your mind the nature of these two con- 

 ditions. When a leaf is to be spread wide, like the Bur- 

 dock, it is supported by a framework of extending ribs 

 like a Gothic roof. The supporting function of these is 

 geometrical ; every one is constructed like the girders of 

 a bridge, or beams of a floor, with all manner of science 

 in the distribution of their substance in the section, for 

 narrow and deep strength ; and the shafts are mostly 

 hollow. But when the extending space of a leaf is to be 

 enriched with fulness of folds, arid become beautiful in 

 wrinkles, this may be done either by pure undulation as 

 of a liquid current along the leaf edge, or by sharp 

 4 drawing ' or ' gathering ' I believe ladies would call it 

 and stitching of the edges together. And this stitching 

 together, if to be done very strongly, is done round a bit 

 of stick, as a sail is reefed round a mast ; and this bit of 

 stick needs to be compactly, not geometrically strong ; its 

 function is essentially that of starch, not to hold the leaf 

 up off the ground against gravity ; but to stick the edges 

 out, stiffly, in a crimped frill. And in beautiful work of 



