THE COMMON .SHEUBBERY. 



57 



How do the swarming herbs of the woods and copses of the 

 world exist in spite of tlie shigs ? A good protection for them 

 is hard gravel walks and paths, where they lay their eggs 

 without danger. Against the door one may dn wliat one 

 likes, liut not one leaf would I ever allow runiuVL-d iiuni 

 a clump of shrubs or trees on my lawn or in my pleasure 

 ground. I would prefer the leaves all over the place to a 

 dug l)order, Imt I would, if need l)e, meet that difticulty by 



liPi 



Colony of Narcissus in properly spaced shrubbery. 



scattering a light dressing of soil over them. In what I 

 should call a properly managed shrubl)ery or clump, with the 

 bushes well spaced, and their liranches resting on the ground, 

 with low shrubs between, and evergreen and other herbs, 

 there are natural impediments to the leaves rushing ab()ut in 

 the way you suppose. This is a subject of the greatest interest 

 and the utmost practical importance. Our annual digging 



