Evening star., 1933-07-27
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES Z. TRAcEWELL.

them. Other things may need their
drink regularly and he had best provide
It. Such matters - adequate drainage
and adequate mulches play their part.
The popular hydrangea, for instance,
becomes very wilted on . hot day. but
revives almost instantly when given Q
good sprinkling. Rhododendruns are
supposed to need copious watering In
hot weather, but will live In ground
that Is 20 baked that great hssures show
in the SOIL although this state Of Affairs
II not to be recommended.
Porch boxes and the like, mulched
long time without watering. Those who
may not have tried this method viii be
surprised ut the help afforded.
So grateful are the growing things Of
earth for water that perhaps Q great
deal more good v done through scanty
sprtnkling than is realised. It Is Gus
tomary for amateur gardeners to be ad-
yised that mere "sprtnkling" u worse
than no water ut al, but one may come
surface roots are developed-wh1t Of It?
The old tap roots are below and they
are always reaching down for water,
not up. To listen to some Of the SELF
appointed experts" the ambitious anna
teur would believe that roots did not
know which way to 60, but were for
ever at the mercy Of every man with q
hose. In time they would not know
whether to 60 up or down.
Natures real picture 10 otherwise.
She made the roots for q. pur1ose. or
rather two purposes-to Sncly6r the
plant and to enable 1t to derive part
Of its nourishment from the soil. The
remainder Of its food needs come from
the sunlight and air. The large roots
60 down and the smaller either down or
up or sideways-in fact, IN all possible
directions. The influence of heavy rains
or light sprinkling is not . factor in
what we are tempted to term root direc-
ton. The real problem Is not direction,
but absorption.
Even lawns, Is we take It, do better for
q little water when they need II, espe-
cially II they cannot have the large
amount which would be better for them.
A thorough watering Is best, but that
does not mean that light sprinkle Il
bad.
Surely it is better than nothing! One
may believe this to be true Of all water
ing, no matter how skimpy. II 1t cannot
be done as completely as theory de-
mands, then let it be - practical as
possible.
There are many situations in garden
ing. as elsewhere. where the practical
side must compromise with theory.
Nature will do the best she can with
. small amount Of water. the home
owner may be sure Of that.
II August and September are dry,
there win be less need for water during
those months than the preceding couple.
Some plants, such as iris, do better for
drying process, called bake" by the
specialists. Here again Nature shows q
wide tolerance. Iris commonly do well.
whether they get bake" or q drench-
ing. Many persons are not acquainted
with this requirement In regard to iris.
50 water their roots plentifully al Sum-
mer long. The fortunate thing k that
this watering in no way hurts the flow-
ers next year, as far as we can see. In
other words, Nature long ago realized
that her creatures would haze to face
wide variations in regard to heat and
cold and water and drought and she
made most of them capable OF stand
ing extremes. She has fishes. for in
stance, which can be dried In mud and
remain alive for years. Goldfishes, as
most persons know can be frosen and
thawed out Of a block of ice. Nature Is
not as finicky as the average home gar
dener.