THE GREENWOOD TREE. 155 



They compete for the good services of the birds or 

 mammals that disseminate their seeds in proper spots 

 for germination. And how real this competition is we 

 can see in a moment, if we think of the difficulties of 

 human cultivation. There, weeds are always battling 

 manfully with our crops or our flowers for mastery over 

 the field or garden. We are obliged to root up with 

 ceaseless toil these intrusive competitors, if we wish to 

 enjoy the kindly fruits of the earth in due season. When 

 we leave a garden to itself for a few short years, we 

 realize at once what effect the competition of hardy 

 natives has upon our carefully tended and unstable 

 exotics. In a very brief time the dahlias and phloxes 

 and lilies have all disappeared, and in their place the 

 coarse-growing docks and nettles and thistles have 

 raised their heads aloft to monopolize air and space and 

 sunshine. 



Exactly the same struggle is always taking place in 

 the fields and woods and moors around us, and especially 

 in the spots made over to pure nature. There, the green- 

 wood tree raises its huge umbrella of foliage to the skies, 

 and allows hardly a ray of sunlight to struggle through 

 to the low woodland vegetation of orchid or wintergreen 

 underneath. Where the soil is not deep enough for trees 

 to root securely, bushes and heathers overgrow the 

 ground, and compete with their bell-shaped blossoms for 

 the coveted favour of bees and butterflies. And in open 

 glades, where for some reason or other the forest fails, 

 tall grasses and other aspiring herbs run up apace 

 towards the free air of heaven. Elsewhere, creepers 

 struggle up to the sun over the stems and branches of 



