Evening star., 1932-05-24

One Of the finest points about gar
dening is that it withdraws from the
human mind the temptation to sneer
and criticize
Adverse criticism outside the garden
mostly is accompanied by sneer.
1t comes natural for thousands Of
human blngs to spend great deal Of
time daily in this gentle occupation.
But g garden takes 1t out of them,
day by day. SO that in few years
they end up by laying aside their oral
weapons.
At least while gardening.
All is praise in the garden.
There is scarcely a growing thing
which meets the adverse SHAFTS of the
human enemy.
There are no comparisons in degree,
every flower has its place, and one is
as good as the next.
The lordly iris blooms in the border,
the tiny rock plant In its special place,
and one is as fine as the ether.
This is borne home to every one who
gardens. Even if he is of the most
critical temperament. he finds himself
after awhile, tempering his critical fac
ulites with appreciation in large and
healthy dcses
Ecen TIE enemies of the garden, the
hundred and one insects worms. dis
eases. come to be fought without
malice
They are part, too. of this interesting
thing Jumped off by mankind as ma
ture. The gardener must recognize
them, whether he will or not.
Often he is surprised at the lack OF
rancor in his recognition. Yes. the
bugs" are playing havoc with things,
but there are ways of meeting their
inroads, and it Is sort of game, after
all
Ants in the lawn are terrible pests?
OF course, but many gardener works
up real interest in these bits of anima
tion, and sometimes surprises himself
by his lack of real feeling against
them, considering the trouble they
cause him.
determination, or attempted extermi-
nation. is necessary, but he may come
to regard all that he does as a rather
dirty trick on them. and wish they
would go awaY of their own accord.
Consider those neat little jars of
poisoned sweet sirup. which repose in
the border. SWeet-eating ants i'm
mediatcly become aware of them. Here
comes one big fellow hot on the scent.
He runs around the brim of the jar
attempting to find way to get in. All!
he triumphs! He discovers a little hole
only big enough for an ant to get
through, and which only an ant could
discover.
He congratulates himself. without
doubt, on his perspicacity. He has no
way Of knowing that higher creature
In the scale of life purposely made the
search difficult for him. so that he
would be thus tempted to pat himself
on his rather rough back
The ant is terribly out of his ele-
ment, but he doesn't know it, How
could he know it? HIS truSty old in
Stlnct, which has stood him and his
ancestors in good stead for a million
years. goes back on him now. The in
stlnct knows nothing about this trick
All 1t tells the ant is that here is
something sweet, something good TO eat
Now that 1t is inside the jar. the
ant looks around for way to get down
to the delectable lake of sweet stuff
below him.
A whole laGeful-and he the only
ant in the world who has discovered
1t BY George, I am a smart ant! He
sees a small piece of wood. leading
down into the liquid. Just the thing
Down 1t he goes. wiggling his sensitive
antennae. or whatever it is an ant
Wigsles when he smells food.
He samples it.
1t tastes good
III take some home to the folks. :"
he smiles to himself, drawing UP a
bagful.
Up the stick he goes, out the tiny