Evening star., 1932-12-07
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

anything at all. With them there IS
no neeed for specialized attention, for
| this personal interest which calls into
play sharper eyesight. better under
| standing.
Unfortunately, the great majority Of
| human beings are not so. They may
look, but If there Is no personal in
terest IN the matter before them they
are busy with their own thoughts, as
they say, all the time they are making
pretense of looking and appreciat-
| ing.
That Is why one may declare, with
some truth, that real appreciation Is
| an art and that 1t is not met with one
tenth as often as 1t seems to exist.
Often what masquerades as appre-
ciation is merely a lack Of initiative,
combined with laziness of disposition.
It Is easier to admire than to be silent:
| it is more pleasant to mouth some good
phrase, such as Beautiful than to
criticize adversely.
This is human, this Is being social,
| and there IS not much to be said
| against 1t; but at the same time one
| must not look upon it as being true
manifestation of interest or apprecia-
| ton.
In many instances 1t is nothing but
mouthing, of the better sort; it harms
no one, except the person who utters
| it, and him only because it prevents
him from coming to true understand
| ing or appreciation at the time.
Some days later, maybe months or
years later, he will find himself con-
| fronted with exactly the same thing,
but this time his eyes will be open, be-
| cause somehow the Spring Of his own
personal interest has been touched.
He will actually see, this time; he
will be able to discover why this exhi-
bition is surprising; he will make de-
| politenesS' sake, but solely because his
heart and mind have been moved.
He will have the eye Of the enthu-
siast at last.
The home gardener, then, will not
be unduly alarmed, If he finds that
warm weather, following cold, causes
| unreasonable growth.
He will remember that Nature Is old,
and has been meeting such conditions
In her own way for long time.
Presumably she knows how to handle
all the situations which may arise.
But since she is both the cause Of
the conditions, and the conditions
themselves. one may doubt her ability,
at times?
OF coursel
Nevertheless, Nature does know what
she is doing. Her branches, her boughs,
her buds. are hardy to an amazing ex-
tent. They have to be, since they are
exposed to all the weather" there is.
1888
What If cold weather again, follow
ing on q warm spell. nips the ends Of
canes Of the common nydrangeas?
Let them alone, now, but next Spring.
before growing commences, prune OF
the dead ends.
There seems to be a great deal Of
misunderstanding in relation to the
pruning Of this popular old plant.
Some persons have the idea that the
canes should be cut back severely In
the Fall, but II that is done there viii
be few, If any, blossoms, next year.
The canes should be left strictly
alone, just as the leaves fall on them.
until early next Spring, and then
pruned only as indicated above.
Damage by fluctuations Of tempera-
ture at this time scarceiy will endanger,
In any real sense, any shrub In normal
ly good condition.
Such harm as may be done comes
under the classification of natural
pruning, perhaps better in the long
run than the bungling attempts Of
mankind to initiate It.