152 THE ROMANCE OF EVERIFARM 



In passing the garden he threw the remaining in- 

 fected wheat heads down near the garden gate, and 

 a few minutes later Scrappy, the English sparrow, 

 discoA'ering the wheat heads, pounced on them and 

 began tearing them apart, eating the kernels and 

 scattering the villainous spores in every direction 

 over the garden. 



"Ho! Ho! That's a good one on Farmer Good! 

 I thought I was a goner when he brought me into 

 the house, but here I am right in luck," exclaimed 

 the villain, as he settled himself do^m between the 

 warm moist leaves of the young cabbage, while 

 other spores found an equally attractive place 

 among the leaves of the head lettuce. Here they 

 proceeded to multiply, and consequently they at- 

 tacked these plants, so that in a few days the head of 

 lettuce took on a wilted appearance and finally the 

 stalk turned black at the base, with the result that 

 the head of lettuce was worthless for food or sale. 

 The villain that found himself blown on the cab- 

 bage found harder work, as cabbage was more re- 

 sistant and it took weeks for him to make any im- 

 pression, so that he finally had to go doT^Ti in the 

 stalk at the root crown, before he began to get re- 

 sults. However, he was able after some time, with 

 the help of all his children and his relatives, first 



