Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-17
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

There can be little question that the
majority OF would-be horticulturists are
afraid Of fertilizers. They have listened
so much to warnings about burning
their plants that they use substances
containing the elements Of plant growth
and nutrition with a. niggardly hand,
then wonder why they get little, II any,
results.
Roses come in the class of gross feed
ers, and will thrive on great deal more
food than most growers will give them.
Feeding, however, is by no means all
there Is to the growing Of good roses.
Much depends on getting good bushes
to begin with, and here the average
planter Is at the mercy of others. He
will be confused by the dispute between
the advocates of own root" and
grated" stock. and will In time come
to wonder II any of them know what
they are talking about.
Many roses have a disagreeable habit
Of suffering severely in the bud when
rain strikes them The flowers omen
poorly, often "bullnosed," as it is called,
and sometimes show black In the
centers.
These habits prevent this flower from
being trouble-free, and thereby endear
1t. nosdoubt. to those particular persons
who have the time to csvote to watch
ing their charges, or who possess the
money to hire other people to watch
them.
Those who merely want a nice gar
den, as 1t Is called, with some roses,
win probably not be willing to go to the
extended trouble which good rose grow
ing requires Of all except the extremely
fortunate. q
We would sd,ise all new home own
ers In particular to go slowly in the
making OF rose garden. No doubt
roses are the very first things you want
to grow. but they should be the very
last. Get good grass, start your shrubs.
grow plenty Of ANNALS. begin on the
perennial border, and see to 1t that YOU
have plenty of iris and gladioli and the
like.
Then, and not till then. think about
roses on q large scale. There will be
plenty OF time to grow them when the
other things are attended to and the
amount of garden space has been ad
justed to the demands of the remainder
Of the garden.
To all but the born rose culturist
there are other parts of the garden,
after all.
Lie HlOSL OF LneSe is the
grass. The lawn remains the primary
feature Of every good garden. except
those show places where flower beds
usurp all except narrow spaces for
walkways. One would say nothing
against such gardening. 1t is interest
ing and has its place.
Its place, however, Is scarcely in the
average home grounds. There nothing
can take the place Of lawn. for it Is at
once the background and frame of the
entire home picture, to say nothing of
being a beautiful thing in itself.
The lover Of the seashore finds him
self homesick for the roar of the break
ers. That low, monotonous music. even
more than the fragrance of salt atP,
calls him home again. At the shore ne
is able to look for hours upon the rolling
water and at the white-creSted break
ers without ever once growing tired of
the eternal picture
The nearest approach the city home
lover has to this fine enthusiasm is his
ability to f1nd solace and beauty in a
good green sward. He may not be aware
OF 1t, but he is getting more pleasure
from his grass than from all his flowers
put together.
His eyes can watch the grass for
minutes at time. not only with vast
physical benefit, but also with good to
MS immortal soul. The steady monotony
OF the green plain is akin to the rolling
main In essential characteristics.
Sometimes after thunder shower the
nome owner even gets into his nostrils
the fragrance OF the everlasting seas
as the fresh odor arises from the wet
grass and shrubbery. A rose Is beauti-
ful, but a green lawn has something
ABOVE and beyond beauty in IT,