Evening star., 1932-04-06

MY wife wanted me TO move OUT
big Silver Moon rose vine" he went on,
but I told her that II was easier "a
buy new one"
Any one who has seen n silver Moon
at the age OF 5 10 I years. or that other
stalwart climber. the pf, Van Fleet.
will sympathize with him,
He knew his roaebushes
He knew not only the great physical
difficulty OF moving big climber. clad
with great thorns. but also he realized
the even greater dificulty OF moving It
so that IL would not be injured.
Old roses, old Shrubs. despite what
some may say. resent being moved
They are like certain people who have
come to love their homes and prefer to
stay in them, with all their faults,
rather than move TO n new and better
house.
Old shrubs and old roses can be
tranSplanted, of course. and often
enough they will do. we'll after sulking
for several years. No dount If one could
dig wide enough and deep enough. 1t
would be possible TO get them out in
such condition that they might stand
transplanting without protest.
Most gardeners fail to dig as widely
and as deeply as they should. The re-
suit Is that they fail to get all of the
root system, especially the larger roots.
Then in planting again they cannot
bring themselves to the point where
they are brave enough, horticulturally
speaking. to prune back the bush at
the top, in order to compensate for the
removal of roots.
y x
Therefore it is often easiest and
cheapest to allow an old plant to re-
main where it is and to buy another
one for the new situation. Not only Is
1t more economical in the long run, but
1t may save the plant.
1t is for this latter reason that often
1t Is better to permit old plants to stay
where they are, even if one moves away.
This brings up the question. should one
have a sentimental attachment to
plants? There can be no doubt that
certain types of human beings do work
up this sort of fondneSS. The rosebush
which they have tended in their garden
and worked to bring to perfection is a
different bush to them from another
plant which may bloom more profusely
On the other hand. it is probably true
that 95 per cent of the gardeners of the
world do not harbor any such senti-
mental attachments to particular plants,
and that they are better off for not
doing so, because they are saved these
world where separation at some time or
other is the inevitable rule. 1t Is Just
a question of when.
The best gardener no doubt is he
who loves the whole tribe of growing
plants better than any individual speci-
mems. This attitude will permit him
to plant for others to enjoy. Thus, if
he moves into home, plants a garden
and subsequently moves away, he will
be willing to permit most of his plants
and flowers to remain behind him to
give their benediction of beauty and in
terest to those who come after.
1t is a question which is the greatest
charm Of plants-the beauty which they
present or the interest they create
Perhaps it is just as well to regard
beauty and interest as two sides Of one
proposition.
There is a certain flower loving hu-
man type, the members of which often
have little else in common. Those who
love flowers for their beauty may include
the society matron and the rough fellow
who goes down the street in rags. There
is no high or low in the matter of
beauty and a decent human regard for
it. The sense of beauty flowers to its
human perfection in this high regard
for the beautiful flowers, shrubs and
trees with which nature has lowered
the world.
Often the love Of beauty is the spark
which sets off a lifelong interest in
flowers. At this point it should be en-
phasized that actual physical work with
plants is not necessary to full appre-
citation of their beauty and a complete
interest in them as one of the most de-
lightful subjects for mankinds best ap-
preciative powers.
There is many man or woman whose
physical powers may not permit of ac-