Evening star., 1933-02-14

Some one has said that Nature gets
the home garden ready for Spring, and
this is largely true, but still there are
some things that may be done by the
gardener.
Two Of the most important are
pruning the rosebushes and spraying
the Nlacs for scale.
One may put in grass seed now. or
spread fertilizer, or plant hedges, but
what Is the use?
1t Is too early for the best doing of
anything except the first two actions
mentioned above.
Indeed these may be deferred until
later, without particular harm, but
might just as well be done at this time,
between snowstorms, as it were.
Pruning applies, Of course, only to
our bushes. not to the climbing roses.
The reasons for pruning are more
generally understood than those for
spraying the lilac bushes at this season.
The scale insects which gather some
what later (to become visible to the eye
as white clusters) are on the boughS
now.
The Use Of miscible oil will put the
finishing touches to these creatures be-
fore they have had q chance to harm
the bush.
Since lilacs put forth their leaves be-
fore almost any other shrub, it Is essen
tial that the spraying be done well be-
fore the greenery appears.
"MiScible" Is not as terrifying as 1t
looks.
1t simply means that can be mixed, :"
usually with water.
The legend that Oil and water will
not mix Is so old that most newcomers
to the pleasant art Of home gardening
tend at first to greet the news with the
scorn which they think the information
deserves.
Science, however, Is mighty, here as
elsewhere; miscible oil may and does
mix readily with water, up to tre-
mendouS Saturation.
Applied copiously on some quiet day,
such spray tends to darken the lilac
branches. turning some of them quite
deep black. Other sections will take on
purple cast.
This Is the best thing In the world
for the scale. II used in time-noW or
a bit later-it will rid these beautiful
bushes Of one of their worst pests, par
ticularly harmful because the average
amateur has never heard Of it.
The sturdy lilacs have but two other
troubles which come within the treat
ment Of the home doctor. These are
borer and leaf wilt. There is very little
that can be done about the latter, which
comes in late Summer, when the beauty
Of the heart-shaped leaves of green has
been enjoyed for many days
The lilac borer is a neat worm whose
burrow can be seen. If left unmolested
he eats away to his hearts content,
causing the ultimate death of many
boughs and branches
Sometimes the borer can be stabbed
with long pin or similar instrument.
There are various chemical preparations
to be poured in, most of which are
highly poisonous, and which need a
plug Of wax or mud hastily applied, in
order that their fumes will not escape
into so-called thin air.
Fortunately, the amateur gardener
need not bother with such things, If he
does not care to. A very simple method
Of handling the borer is to wait until a
branch is plainly defunct, then saw 1t
of.
While this procedure no doubt would
horrify the veteran grower, it is an
eminently practical one, since it fur
nishes q sort Of pruning, although
rudimentary, to bushes which seldom
get any.
As for sowing grass seed on snow, a
proceeding often advocated, there Is
not much against it, and not very