56 IN A GLOUCESTERSHIRE GARDEN 



The weeds keep the earth moist, and prevent the 

 radiation of heat, and how much they do so most of 

 us can see by observing the plantains on our lawns. 

 I am not fond of plantains on lawns, and get rid of 

 them ; but some will remain, and on them I have often 

 noticed that in a slight hoar-frost no hoar-frost is 

 formed on the plantains ; the broad leaves lying flat 

 on the ground keep in the earth-heat. I am tempted 

 to say more about weeds and their uses, but instead ot 

 doing so I will refer — and those who do not know the 

 book will thank me for doing so — to one of Burroughs' 

 charming little books, Pepacton, where there is a long 

 chapter on the use and beauty of weeds. I will, how- 

 ever, quote another American writer, Hawthorne, who 

 is quite enthusiastic in his praise of weeds. ' There is,' 

 he says, ' a sort of sacredness about them. Perhaps if 

 we could penetrate Nature's secrets we should find that 

 what we call weeds are more essential to the well-being 

 of the world than the most precious fruit or grain.' 

 This is perhaps somewhat exaggerated, but there is a 

 good truth in it. 



