Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-15
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

tanned in Mark Twain's tom Sawyer
Abroad? There is story for you!
X r 4
The dry weather probably has had
something to do with the total disap-
pearance of the gnats and similar small
things which were such nuisance dur
ing the latter part of April and most
of 7Tay in certain sections of the city
and suburbs.
japanese beetles, which somewhat re-
senble q potato bug, but are a coppery-
green in color, do not seem to be thriv-
ing especially we'll as a result Of the
dryness. There are plenty of traps in
stalled. in some sections one in every
yard, but a casual inspection does not
reveal very many bugs in them.
Maybe the beetles are beginning to
learn to avoid the elaborate traps. A
Japanese beetle with half sense ought
to be able to spot one of those traps a
mile away.
The dryness has not helped the slug
family, either. These curiously limp bits
of life infest certain neighborhoods, and
traces of them often are to be found, In
vivid silver, planted on walks in the
morning.
They prefer dampness, however, so
have retired to their dens, or wherever
N4AS
extreme drynesS which has prevailed.
The ant family, whose activities we
discussed here several days ago, rather
revelS in the parched state of things
They find the job of laying up stores
for the Winter expedited, as human
beings do. by dry, clear weather.
Tortoises and moles, old-time garden
residents, seem to be holding their own
We know several small tortoises which
Ay,yfn q.
times they fail to show up, and one
thinks they wandered away, but months
later they meander across the yard as
If in the habit of it,
MoleS are doing very well, except
when dug out by dogs or cats. City
and suburban properties do not suffer
as much from the depredations of these
almost-sightless creatures as do small
town holdings. We have seen raised
places in lawns many feet long, but dc
not recall them in any nearby lawns,
X X X
Dogs, cats, rabbits, squirrels and
humming birds also live in gardens, or
wander across them. To these must
be added, of course, the other birds We
mention the humming bird because he
is our favorite.
Dogs make rather poor garden COM
panions. They often root up rose
bushes and eat them, and are forever
trsmpling down ones choicest plants.
II bone meal is dug into the soil, nothing
will do Fido but that he dig tunnel to
get it,
Dogs have a bad habit of bringing
large and greasy bones into garden,
and leaving them precisely in the one
spot where they will look the worst
when guests arrive.
Cats go better with gardens. Their
small depredations are committed in
the interest of hygiene, and in no sense
are harmful. The cat has real appre-
citation for the beautiful; we have seen
many one lie by the hour contemplat-
ing some peaceful garden picture.
One morning we looked out and saw
a cat, two squirrels and rabbit In the
yard. Is it necessary to say that the
cat was on the ground and the squirrels
up tree But what of the rabbit?
The rabbit was sitting about 25 feet
behind the cat, which had its eyes upon
the squirrels. The squirrels had their
eyes on the cat The rabbit had its eyes
on the cat. 1t was garden picture
shortly ended by the futile leap Of the
cat, the adequate caperings of the squir-
rels in their leafy element, the complete
withdrawal of the rabbit.