Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-11
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES f. TRACEWELL.

More than a score of different crea-
lures may be found at some time In the
average garden.
He or she who mows the grass and
waters the flowers often does not sus-
pect that the garden harbors as many
visitors.
But let us see.
First of all, comes man himself. A
human being is the largest garden ami
NAL, unless horse or cow gets loose.
A gardener is an animal. Sometimes
one may suspect that the better animal
he is the better gardener he makes.
His sympathy with growing thlngs
must be large in order to enable him TO
put up with the failures.
1t is amazing what large amount OF
futile effort Is made in many garden
without diminishing In the slightest the
ardor of the worker.
If a like proportion of failure were
achieved in any other endeavor, most
human beings would give over the Jop
in disgust.
The largest animal In the garden,
however, will continue to potter away
over his plants, even when the petunlaS
are eaten by strange and unseen bugs
and the shrubs set out so hopefully in
the Spring remain at precisely the same
height as when put into the ground.
+ 4 + 4
Dogs constitute the second group OF
garden animals, although their right to
| the title is based solely on usurpatlon.
| AS far as we have been able to de-
| termine, there are few dogs which really
| like a garden for the gardens sake. IL
Is to them, If there is enough lawn
simply a place for frolic.
tn roll about Orwell, what Is nicer
than a good turf if one is a dog?
AS for roses, and snapdragonS. ano
| foXgloveS, and the like, what are they
| but ugly things to clutter up good earth:
| 1t is easy to run through them and even
to dig them up when necessary.
| Especially il the mistress or master
has put in little of that delicious pull
lerized bone which they call bone meal
/ All, then there is some reason for roses
after ALL
A few seconds work with ones fore
| legs and here Is the very essence OF
bone, a trif1e mixed with earth, it is
! true. but that is no hindrance to de-
| termined dog.
RosebuSh roots, too. are excellent. A
! friend of mine. a Boston bull named
Lettie, has been known u devour the
roots of half dozen rosebuShes in ar
afternoon.
But the best trick of the dogs and the
one they love the most is to select nice
! bed of fioWcr1-say, pctunlas emo snap-
dragons-and to lie Squarely in the
middle of 1t. 1t flavtens Jhcm so nicely
The cat, of all animals, comes the
nearest to man in approaching a garden
at its true worth. Those VINO believe
! that cats hurt gardens have observed
specifically and not thoroughly.
The cat is the only animal with
enough artistic sense to love a garder
| for its own sake Any one who ha!
watched a cat lying on the grass. Sc
dately looking around him, has sensec
! that this is something unique in ami
maldom.
Cows lie placidly in meadows, it is
| true. and horses will dream in theil
pastures upon occasion, even as dog'
will doze in flower beds. but only the
cat is able to put on that alert, inter
ested look which makes the human OBJ
server quite sure that he appreciates
his surroundings.
A cat is able to slide through ever
! the most crowded flower border without
J hurting a blossom. Occasionally he vii
| reach up and touch a flower with paw
to make ii nod. then sit back and watch
the result of his work.
The cat is at once the friendliest anc
clesnlieSt of garden animals, and Shoulc
/ never be chased out of one. He is paw
! ing you a great compliment when he
visits your garden.
Squirrels and rabbits constitute oul
-, fourth and fifth animals OF the ga"Cen
In many suburban areas they are al