36 THE HUMAN SIDE OF PLANTS 
Thus it is evident that plants are not helpless 
victims of circumstance, depending on the charities 
and wishes of every other creature, but are of 
themselves thoroughly awake to their importance 
in the world. Each plant is quite prepared to hold 
its own against its enemies, to procure the means of 
its livelihood, to recognise its friends, distrust its 
foes, to grow, develop, multiply, build up families 
and enjoy its living, to seize its opportunities, and 
to create new ones—truly in all ways to progress 
as man has done. 
With humans the art of self-defence has been 
developed to a science. For every danger and 
hardship an adequate means of contention has been 
devised. Such also is the case with plants. Some- 
times, like soldiers, banding together for pur- 
poses of concerted resistance, sometimes fighting 
alone, they wield against each enemy the weapon 
which is most effective; for the plants’ weapons 
are quite as numerous as their enemies. Thorns, 
prickles, poisons, sticky excretions, odours, sting- 
ing hairs, and many others are the defensive 
weapons used, 
Perhaps the common hawthorn is one of the best 
examples of the self-reliance and independence of 
plants. Through ages of experience this plant 
has learned to resist the attacks of all destructive 
