46 MY SUMMER IN A GARDEN. 



be the favorite food of some remote people 

 or tribe ? We ought to abate our conceit. 

 It is possible that we destroy in our gardens 

 that which is really of most value in some 

 other place. Perhaps, in like manner, our 

 faults and vices are virtues in some remote 

 planet. I cannot see, however, that this 

 thought is of the slightest value to us here, 

 any more than weeds are. 



There is another subject which is forced 

 upon my notice. I like neighbors, and I 

 like chickens ; but I do not think they ought 

 to be united near a garden. Neighbors' 

 hens in your garden are an annoyance. 

 Even if they did not scratch up the corn, 

 and peck the strawberries, and eat the to- 

 matoes, it is not pleasant to see them strad- 

 dling about in their jerky, high-stepping, 

 speculative manner, picking inquisitively 

 here and there. It is of no use to tell the 

 neighbor that his hens eat your tomatoes : 

 it makes no impression on him, for the to- 

 matoes are not his. The best way is to cas- 

 ually remark to him that he has a fine lot of 



