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was made into a garden。 At the present time; this artificially treated
area presents an aspect extraordinarily different from that of so much
of the land as remains in the state of nature; outside the wall。
Trees; shrubs; and herbs; many of them appertaining to the state of
nature of remote parts of the globe; abound and flourish。 Moreover;
considerable quantities of vegetables; fruits; and flowers are
produced; of kinds which neither now exist; nor have ever existed;
except under conditions such as obtain in the garden; and which;
therefore; are as much works of the art of man as the frames and
glasshouses in which some of them are raised。 That the 〃state of Art;〃
thus created in the state of nature by man; is sustained by and
dependent on him; would at once become '10' apparent; if the watchful
supervision of the gardener were withdrawn; and the antagonistic
influences of the general cosmic process were no longer sedulously
warded off; or counteracted。 The walls and gates would decay;
quadrupedal and bipedal intruders would devour and tread down the
useful and beautiful plants; birds; insects; blight; and mildew would
work their will; the seeds of the native plants; carried by winds or
other agencies; would immigrate; and in virtue of their long…earned
special adaptation to the local conditions; these despised native
weeds would soon choke their choice exotic rivals。 A century or two
hence; little beyond the foundations of the wall and of the houses and
frames would be left; in evidence of the victory of the cosmic powers
at work in the state of nature; over the temporary obstacles to their
supremacy; set up by the art of the horticulturist。

It will be admitted that the garden is as much a work of art;* or
artifice; as anything that can be mentioned。 The energy localised in
certain human bodies; directed by similarly localised intellects; has
produced a collocation of other material bodies which could not be
brought about in the state of nature。 The same proposition is true of
all the

    * The sense of the term 〃Art〃 is becoming narrowed; 〃work of
    Art〃 to most people means a picture; a statue; or a piece of
    bijouterie; by way of compensation 〃artist〃 has included in its
    wide embrace cooks and ballet girls; no less than painters and
    sculptors;

'11' works of man's hands; from a flint implement to a cathedral or a
chronometer; and it is because it is true; that we call these things
artificial; term them works of art; or artifice; by way of
distinguishing them from the products of the cosmic process; working
outside man; which we call natural; or works of nature。 The
distinction thus drawn between the works of nature and those of man;
is universally recognized; and it is; as I conceive; both useful and
justifiable。


                   III。

No doubt; it may be properly urged that the operation of human energy
and intelligence; which has brought into existence and maintains the
garden; by what I have called 〃the horticultural process;〃 is;
strictly speaking; part and parcel of the cosmic process。 And no one
could more readily agree to that proposition than I。 In fact; I do not
know that any one has taken more pains than I have; during the last
thirty years; to insist upon the doctrine; so much reviled in the
early part of that period; that man; physical; intellectual; and
moral; is as much a part of nature; as purely a product of the cosmic
process; as the humblest weed。*

    * See 〃Man's Place in Nature;〃 Collected Essays; vol。 vii。; and
    〃On the Struggle for Existence in Human Society〃 (1888); below。

But if; following up this admission; it is urged '12' that; such being
the case; the cosmic process cannot be in antagonism with that
horticultural process which is part of itselfI can only reply; that
if the conclusion that the two are; antagonistic is logically absurd;
I am sorry for logic; because; as we have seen; the fact is so。 The
garden is in the same position as every other work of man's art; it is
a result of the cosmic process working through and by human energy and
intelligence; and; as is the case with every other artificial thing
set up in the state of nature; the influences of the latter; are
constantly tending to break it down and destroy it。 No doubt; the
Forth bridge and an ironclad in the offing; are; in ultimate resort;
products of the cosmic process; as much so as the river which flows
under the one; or the seawater on which the other floats。
Nevertheless; every breeze strains the bridge a little; every tide
does something to weaken its foundations; every change of temperature
alters the adjustment of its parts; produces friction and consequent
wear and tear。  From time to time; the bridge must be repaired; just
as the ironclad must go into dock; simply because nature is always
tending to reclaim that which her child; man; has borrowed from her
and has arranged in combinations which are not those favoured by the
general cosmic process。

Thus; it is not only true that the cosmic energy; working through man
upon a portion of '13' the plant world; opposes the same energy as it
works through the state of nature; but a similar antagonism is
everywhere manifest between the artificial and the natural。 Even in
the state of nature itself; what is the struggle for existence but the
antagonism of the results of the cosmic process in the region of life;
one to another?*

    * Or to put the case still more simply。 When a man lays hold of
    the two ends of a piece of string and pulls them; with intent
    to break it; the right arm is certainly exerted in antagonism
    to the left arm; yet both arms derive their energy from the
    same original source。


                  IV。

Not only is the state of nature hostile to the state of art of the
garden; but the principle of the horticultural process; by which the
latter is created and maintained; is antithetic to that of the cosmic
process。 The characteristic feature of the latter is the intense and
unceasing competition of the struggle for existence。 The
characteristic of the former is the elimination of that struggle; by
the removal of the conditions which give rise to it。 The tendency of
the cosmic process is to bring about the adjustment of the forms of
plant life to the current conditions; the tendency of the
horticultural process is the adjustment of the conditions to the needs
of the forms of plant life which the gardener desires to raise。

The cosmic process uses unrestricted multiplication '14' as the means
whereby hundreds compete for the place and nourishment adequate for
one; it employs frost and drought to cut off the weak and unfortunate;
to survive; there is need not only of strength; but of flexibility and
of good fortune。

The gardener; on the other hand; restricts multiplication; provides
that each plant shall have sufficient space and nourishment; protects
from frost and drought; and; in every other way; attempts to modify
the conditions; in such a manner as to bring about the survival of
those forms which most nearly approach the standard of the useful or
the beautiful; which he has in his mind。

If the fruits and the tubers; the foliage and the flowers thus
obtained; reach; or sufficiently approach; that ideal; there is no
reason why the status quo attained should not be indefinitely
prolonged。 So long as the state of nature remains approximately the
same; so long will the energy and intelligence which created the
garden suffice to maintain it。 However; the limits within which this
mastery of man over nature can be maintained are narrow。 If the
conditions of the cretaceous epoch returned; I fear the most skilful
of gardeners would have to give up the cultivation of apples and
gooseberries; while; if those of the glacial period once again
obtained; open asparagus beds would be superfluous; and the training
of fruit '15' trees against the most favourable of mouth walls; a
waste of time and trouble。

But it is extremely important to note that; the state of nature
remaining the same; if the produce does not satisfy the gardener; it
may be made to approach his ideal more closely。 Although the stru

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