Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-26

/ grow 70 real trees within six or seven
years. In that time an oak would have
made barely perceptible growth.
~ ~
There was a female poisoner in an
cient Rome named Locusta, or LucuSta,
who was employed by Agrippina. Nero
also used her talents, but she was exc
cuted by Galba. 30 history tells us. and
1T served her right.
1t Is pleasant to turn from this terror
OF the old days to the wholesome.
sweet-smelling locust trees and especial
ly TO contemplate their pealike flowers
in dropping racemes, rs the books say.
Let US forget about the 30 brands OF
insects which are said to enjoy the
locust bark and wood and leaves above
all other bark wood and leaves.
Surely this Is q good tree. We will
not bore you with hauling in Joyce Kill
mers poem. although surely no one
ever wrote about any tree without want
Ing to do so, 1t Is so true. so well
phrased, so just.
The sweet. pulpy divisions Of the 10
Gust pod are said to be good to eat.
Siciiians are supposed even to go to the
extent OF making wine out of them.
This is because they are albuminous
material.
Every one who talks locust trees with
| you will tell you before the discussion
is well started that there is no other
wood which makes such good fence
posts Locust wood burns well in the
fireplace, although sometimes 1t pops
fearfully. Real fireside sitters. however,
like plenty Of swapping and cracking.
A good locust log Ii able TO send
sparks or 5 feet outward 1t excels,
| too. in swapping them up and out. the
sparks describing a trajectory. as the
military men put II. This sort of de-
livery laughs flrescreen to scorn, even
the finest brassbound ones.
The sparks from a locust log laugh
at fancy flrescreens, and had as lief
bound over the top of brass as over the
more humble screen of dull iron bind
ing. For sheer utility nothing can beat
one OF the commoneSt sorts, shaped
IKE huge popcorn pepper, which Is
packed up to the fireplace and placed
In complete juxtaposition to the entire
opening. Then you have coverage.
1t may not look quite so snappy in
photographs, but you can bet your last
dollar that it will keep all the sparks,
and not just most OF them. from pop
ping out on the floor, especially II you
are burning nice wet locust log.
One good point Of the locust tree Is
that its leaves ere 70 high in the sir
that the sunshine has some chance to
get into garden, especially in the early
morning.
While several good locustS will shade
yard too heavily for the best growth
OF annual flowers. the late leaflng out
Will give many ANIMALS a good chance
to get started. after which they can
take care OF themselves fairly we'll.
BY the use of properly made shady"
mixtures OF lawn grass. householder
with a yard well shaded by locuSts can
nevertheless have good grass, since the
rays OF the sun are able to get in during
the growing weather OF Spring.
There Is something almost cathedral
like In grove of locusts. or a lawn
surrounded by them. Other and more
heavily leafed trees perhaps do not give
the same effect. The sheer shafts of
trunks rise high into the air before the
branches and leaves begin.
This Is not always the case, how
ever, and some locustS begin to branch
not more than 8 or 10 feet from the
ground. In such cases the trees droop
their leaves rather low. so that there is
seen to be nothing hard and fast about
locust after all. Every one is Diff
ferent. and this variety adds to their
charm ~-A