, GARDEN ENEMIES. 127 



that he cannot, by any strength or skill of which 

 he is possessed, extirpate or finally subdue the 

 smallest insect in the universe. But as garden ene- 

 mies are so different in different places, you might 

 deem it loss of time to read of the hostilities which 

 many of them commit, and with which you may 

 have nothing to do. We shall therefore, noticing 



o ' o 



only the more prevalent as we proceed, endeavour 

 elsewhere so to arrange a chapter of their offences 

 that the reader may consult that part only in which 

 he is concerned, it being probable that he will be 

 content to leave the rest alone. War of any kind 

 is indeed interesting to those that must wage it; 

 but to others it is only attractive of notice when a 

 certain greatness characterises the combatants on 

 either side a circumstance that does not obtain in 

 the interminable conflicts of the gardener with the 

 green-fly, a creature of such slender make that it 

 cannot bear the dew on its wings. Judging by this 

 law of sympathy in regard to wars, there is reason 

 to apprehend that no one will care for reading 

 about the enemies of the garden, except in so far as 

 they make assaults upon himself, at once deriding 

 his skill and defeating his labours. I have a worm, 

 for instance, that infests my carrots, and that root 

 has had a finer relish since I found it so hard to 

 rear. Sometimes I gain advantage over my foe; 

 but as often, wofully foiled, I own the power of the 

 spoiler, and have to look with pity on labours lost 

 and counsels turned to foolishness. Again I ran- 

 sack all volumes of tactics, and feel tempted to call 



