278 
Garden Work 
One of the principal aims at the present time should 
be to endeavour to raise varieties of plants which will 
resist the attacks of disease. There are many plant 
diseases in existence, and from time to time fresh ones 
make their appearance. This is partly due to the arti- 
ficial way of propagation which is continued indefinitely, 
and to the sacrificing of robust constitutions when hybri- 
dizing to other seemingly more important qualities, i.e. 
good cropping, good cooking, fine form, or fine colour. 
These should not be neglected by any means, but they 
are of little consequence in plants if they are not united 
with a thoroughly robust constitution. 
CHAPTER XII 
Weeds and Their Eradication 
This is a subject of considerable importance to the 
gardener for manv reasons. Have we ever asked our- 
selves what a weed is? At first this seems quite easy 
to answer, but on second thoughts we begin to wonder 
if it is as simple a question as we thought. If we have 
a root of Oats growing in our Onion bed, we say at once 
that it is a weed, and promptly take it out, although we 
do not class it as a weed if we see it growing in a field 
of Oats. Or, again, if a Potato is growing among the 
Carrots we take it out; yet if growing in its proper place, 
the Potato patch, we should be glad to see it grow to 
proper proportions. Hence we can say that a weed is 
a plant growing where it is not wanted. This definition 
