Evening star., 1932-09-19
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

householder resents- The solemn
majesty of his grass is threatened, and
he must spring to its rescue.
There Is not much to be said. after
ALL for permitting a litter of leaves all
Winter, unless they be the small leaves
Of the locust, which will furnish a sort
Of mulch to the grass. But the value
of a mulch. except in very cold cli-
mates has been very much overrated, in
our opinion. And II one wants to mulch
| a lawn, honest, clean peat moss is much
better. 1t becomes rather top dress
ing than a mulch. 1t serves to keep a
| terraced lawn from drying out.
The chief trouble with a litter OF
leaves is that they tend to harbor in
sects. In the snug layers of leaves the
larvae live pleasantly all Winter ready
| to pop out into the open at the first
! touch Of warmer weather.
Even the least observant OF home
gardeners has noticed that the dry
weather of the past three years mas re-
suited in a tremendous increase in the
number and kinds Of insect p,sts which
| bother his plants, especially his fouHda-
| tion paintings, usally consisting OF ever
green's and shrubs, and his flowers.
Some insects thrive best in moisture,
! 1t IS true but not all: but that IS not the
! chief reason for an increase IN the M /,
sect hordes In dry years II seems as l, !,
these dry years are mild years, too, ana
1t Is the mildness which does It,
Freezing cold destroys a great many
insects in their first stages; they can
not overcome the handicapS which such
a pitiless season thrusts upon them.
Insects are opportunists.
They seize upon every advantage
which Nature and man give them.
The huge increase in the planting OF
crops of all sorts especially the grain
| crops has been right to the liking OF
insects. :,
Man is working to provide them food.
and they make the most OF the blessings
OF heaven. or,
Men who have made insects their life
study warn us that unless more dra. tlc
control OF them Is undertaken, the
large paintings OF cereal crcps. and
mild Winters, may prove our undolng,
giving the bugs" their great chance
out of the ages, to take full possession
Of the earth at last.
In the amplitude of mans pride and
dominion, this warning may strike us
as rather wild, but the battle still RACES,
and Nature has turned stranger tricks
kingdom, and its possible domination
of the earth.
Only the other day, In suburban
garage Nature gave mute evidence OF
her ability to take care Of her own.
/ (Someh0w mankind has, in sense, got
outside of Nature, and stands quarrellng
with her. Man is only Natures step
child. but insects and animals, per Sc,
are her children still
A mother fed mouse had brought her
brood of 10 into bushel basket in the
garage She placed them in the bot
tom basket OF stack OF baskets. hay-
ing gained entry thereto by nibbling a
hole in the upper baskets with her
sharp teeth.
1t was q happy family as revealed to
the eve. when the upper baskets by
chance were removed. The 10 blind
mice" could not walk. but they were
busy yawning and washing their tiny
faces with their even smaller paws.
Their miniature ears were fiat to their
heads.
A yellow cat came. and stood on its
hind legs, and peered down into the
basket with great interest, but without
any aspect of hostility whatsoever. Did
he realize, perhaps. that the mice
looked for all the world like miniature
kittens?
The mother had been forced to fee.
in the face of greater power; but, when
the garage door was shut, returned, and
began to carry away her children.
Within half an hour only four were
left, and by the next day all were gone
to safer place. as the parent thought.
in her dumb, instructive way.
Clean up the yard this Fall. espe-
cially the leaves which drop from
shrubs and old plants, In them va
riouS pests may linger and thrive. if
the Winter is as warm as a prophet
has said il will be