Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-06-14

Our friend Templeton Jones is max
ing collection Of sprinkling cans.
No garden is complete. he belives
without at least one old-fashioned wa
tering pot.
For many years this useful nipple.
ment was under a sort Of eclipse.
Somehow the word got around that
1t was peculiarly appropriate in the
in those of q man.
a sprinkling can around, pottering ovel
the flowers, but the only manly way to
apply water to flower borders and
lawns was to put it on with the gar
den hose.
Hence men everywhere took over the
task of sprinkling the garden, and
even among women the use of the wa
tering pot began to go out of fashion
Jones sought to revive the interest
in this ancient piece of garden crafts
manship, not only because Of It's his
toric import, but mainly because 1t Is
as useful now as ever 1t was.
Jones is. above all things. utili-
tartan, although he likes to believe that
theory is the greatest part Of anything
that the unseen things are greater than
the seen, and that the mental aspects
are more interesting than the physical
Nevertheless, he realizes that putting
water ON flowers and lawn at the time
it is needed, and in the quantities nee
essary. is perfectly prosaic task, in
which expedition and quantity look
larger than qualitative performance.
The flowers, in other words, care
little whether the spiritual aspects Of
gardening are kept in mind by the
gardener; what they want, when they
are dry, is water. and plenty of it.
Especially plenty OF it.
Now. a watering can is not guam.
titative performer, except in little; that
is. on single plants it can be usec
with as much effect as hose Better
in fact.
1t was the lone plant which Jone.
had in mind.
Every border has one or more indi-
vidual specimens which need attention
They are backward flowers. almost
might be called atypical plants, SC
much do they need individual atten-
ton
The ancient watering device, the
"sprinkling can" Is Just the thing
Jones decided and, having decided, be-
gan a collection.
Jones IS not the man to be content
with one of anything
He possesses the urge OF so many
moderns, when he likes something OF
other he wants two or more
II he happens to take great fancy
to a certain book, especially an old
book. he does not rest with securing
just one edition of it.
Not Templeton Jones.
He must have at least two. and some
times more. One edition will be all
right, perhaps, until he sees one with
larger type.
Then he must have it.
Must. that Is. II he can get 1t.
When 1t came to sprinkling cans
Jones decided that every well equipped
garden ought to harbor at least three
First, he secured a general utility
affair, a large galvanized specimen
with capaciouS body and a neat
spout. boasting a so-called rose spray
at the end.
What harm that phrase. rose
spray" has done In the world!
Thousands of amateur rosarians have
got the idea that roses must be watered
frequently and thoroughly, when Just
the opposite is the truth.
II there Is anything in the average
garden which can get along dry, it is
the rose, almost any rose, whether
bush or climber.
The ability Of these shrubs, which
is what they are, to endure drought is
marvellous. and scarcely realized by
those who have swallowed the mis-
guided propaganda SO persHtently
handed down in old rose literature
that they be given particular attention
in this regard.
1t Is peculiar thing in the writings
about fiowerdom that SO few average