Evening star., 1933-05-05
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

to feed chosen articles, then to test for
various diseases, or their lack, so the
home gardener has no real way of max
ing clear check.
He lacks both the experipental ma
terial and temper. The amateur gar
dener will question If anywhere such
experiments have been carried on as
would give any clear and reliable an
swers to the questions proposed. It is
undoubtedly true that some years are
good lilac years." certain other seasons
Fertilization might seem to be the
easiest key to opening this problem, but
surely it fails. because some lilacs are
never fertilized at all, and yet they do
better than those which have been
treated.
Healthy stock, ancestry, call it what
one will, counts here, as elsewhere, but
this falls down, too, as a sole explana-
ton, because often the weakest-appear-
ing plants give the most blossoms.
An amateur gardener might pose this
question for the experts:
May there not be a cycle in plant
growth?
The "cycle," or recurring state of af-
fairs, is a favorite theme elsewhere; it
may have originated in Nature, even
among the plants.
Every one knows that greenhouse
plants. subjected to constant and heavy
fertilization, and sufficient moisture,
and too much warmth for their ulti-
mate good, bloom their heads of, as the
saying is, for q time.
After that they become practically
worthless for commercial purposes and
sometimes are sold to the unsuspecting,
who try them in their gardens.
Here they are often complete failures,
much for them, although they may have
been sturdy varieties in the beginning
Yet sometimes old hothouse roses,
planted outdoors. in time come to do
fairly well, as they accustom themselves
10 tnelr new environment and take In
new Life from the great earth.
Every human being is subject to
change IN mood, one day being bright
and gay, another moody and blue. Nor
DO these changes always come from ac-
oountable causes, although no doubt a
higher intelligence could see them.
Inc varying growths of plants may be
nothing more than vegetative moods,
brought about by obscure conditions not
recognizable in the ordinary sense.
These may affect an entire tribe of
plants at one time, since they all grow
IN the mother soil which spreads like a
shell over the surface of the world.
Inese growth and bloom cycles NAV
operate according to laws as vet undis-
covered by man. 1t cannot be thought
Tor an instant that all the laws" have
been discovered. No doubt there are
many more. perfectly simple, as mostly
they are. to be drawn out of mans
mind into recognition, for, of course.
they operate just the same, whether
mankind discovers" and states them
or not
This theory of plant cycles is prob
ably worthless, but so have MANY thee
ries enunciated in past years. and bv
supposed experts, been entirely value
| less.
All that makes a theory of any sort
worth while Is that 1t gives human in
teiilgence starting point. 1t gives the
mind something to stand on. A theory
Is valuable even when it does not work
out. The history of science is the his
tory OF this sublime paradox.
Ihls Is good lilac year. we hone II
Will be a good peony year, and a good
lrls year, superlative over several past
seasons. If We only could know the
real reasons and causes perhaps we
might have perfect flowers everywhere
every season. But whether that would
pe better than our present system no.
body knows.