A GARDEN DIARY 27 



pursued, it tends to grow upon its votary, until 

 everything else becomes subsidiary. What was 

 originally a virtue, may thus in time come near 

 to growing into a vice. Of this danger I am 

 myself a proof. There have been moments 

 not many, nevertheless some when I have found 

 myself sighing for more weeds to conquer. Worse, 

 I have had the greatest difficulty on more than 

 one occasion to keep myself from pouncing upon 

 my neighbour's perfectly private chickweeds and 

 groundsels, which I have happened to catch 

 sight of across a fence ! 



I notice in myself, and have observed in 

 others, a lamentable lack of accuracy as regards 

 the proper names of weeds. Even some that I 

 know the best, and hate the hardest, I really 

 cannot put any name to. Now this is not as 

 it should be. Everything, however detestable, 

 has a name of its own, and that name ought 

 to be used. You may not like a man, but that 

 is hardly a reason for calling him " What's-his- 

 name," or " Thingamy." It is true that in the 

 West of Ireland it is regarded as a very unsafe 

 thing to mention any of the more malignant 

 powers by their right names. The Sidk, for 

 instance, if spoken of by their proper title, in- 

 variably fly at you, and do you a mischief. The 

 only way of avoiding this peril is to use some 

 obscure and roundabout designation, which is 

 not their real name at all. I do not know 



