THE ARCADIAN DONKEY. 



More than that, you may take it as a 

 general rule that where grass will grow 

 there is no chance for heather. Not that 

 the heather doesn't like rich soil, and flourish 

 in it amazingly when it can get it. If you 

 sow it in garden borders, and keep it well 

 weeded, it will thrive apace, as it never 

 throve in its poor native loam, among the 

 stones and rubble. But the weeding is the 

 secret of its success under such conditions. 

 It isn't that the heather won't grow in rich 

 soil, any more than that beggars can't live 

 on pheasant ; but grasses and dandelions, 

 daisies and clovers, can easily give it points 

 in such spots, and beat it. In a very few 

 weeks you will find the lowland plants have 

 grown tall and lush, while the poor distanced 

 heather has been overtopped and crowded 

 out by its sturdier competitors. That is 

 the reason why waterside .irises, or Alpine 

 gentians, will grow in garden beds under 

 quite different circumstances from those 

 under which we find them in the state of 

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