Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-02
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES z. TRAcEwELL.

This columns annual article on
watering the lawn arrives with the
warm weather. Recently we disposed
OF cutting the grass; sprinkling Is an
even weightier subject.
Nations continue to rise and fall
while millions Of individual entities
known as householders, do nothing
more startling than get out the old
hose and turn 1t on the yard.
Well, there Is q great deal Of salts
faction in this. after all. Statecraft Il
for the few. Art most humans may ad-
mire, but hardly achieve.
What all may do. in due season, Is
sprinkle the lawn.
Here is q durable satisfaction for
which the open season has now ar
rived. Just how long 1t will continue
depends upon the weather and the
municipal authorities.
So far the rains have been more
or less normal, so that no ban has
been placed upon the use Of the hose
for the purpose Of maintaining the
home grounds in q state Of beauty.
The wise householder, emulating the
famous early bird, has made enough
use Of the hose already to give his
plants, grass and shrubs q good start
He does not know how long his good
fortune will last.
More or less evenly spaced rainfall,
have put growing things far ahead Of
this date last year, so that hose water
Is the extra measure OF perfection.
It may be that hose water should be
written hosewater. and take the place
Of the rosewater Of the old herbalists
Modern garden roses do not smell a.
sweet as the old-faShioned things OF
grandmother's garden.
Something Of the bouquet, as 1t were
Is gone from our beautiful hybrids, As
II to tell us that in Nature one cannot
have everything.
Those who take up the garden hose
can spare themselves q great deal OF
trouble II they will remember that
neither rose nor evergreen foliage needs
sprinkling.
Rose bushes, as q matter Of fact, need
no water at all. Never was there such
q coed rose year as last, and rosarians
attribute a large share Of the credit
for that state Of affairs to the super
dry Summer.
There was q remarkable freedom from
black spot, leaf spot, mildew and other
fungus growths which destroy some Oh
our best roses, solely as the result OF
lack of water upon leaf and branch
which by this lack gave no propagatine
medium for the fungi.
It will be we'll to keep this fact tr
mind this season. Every drop Of water
is precious. in the face Of last years
drought and this years possible
drought: If gardeners can save water
by refraining from placing 1t where II
does little If any good. surely 1t will
be but common sense, TO say nothing
Of being the path Of wisdom and ease
We have called roses the camels OF
the horticultural world, and surely they
are: and 50 they will need little. II any
artifciaily applied water, and never any
on their foliage, unless the gardener
imagines they are dusty.
In that case he may spray them
lightly, preferably in the early morn
ing, now and then, rs often, say. as
the idea Of dust on the leaves worries
him. Let him be sure that the dust
will not bother the roses In the least
Gardeners Of the amateur variety
often delight In creating imaginary
troubles to correct. as they fancy. This
dust on the leaves" Is one OF their
most precious. Dust Is part Of Ma
ture, and never hurt any leaves. which
have ways of their own of getting nd
Of it, II they find 1t desirable.
Il -
Roses do not even need water fol
their roots, as far as we can see, but
evergreens of all kinds demand 1t.
Water is best kept of evergreen foliage