Evening star., 1936-10-23
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Do not be fooled by those beautiful
red leaves along the highway.
They may be poison ivyl
Now that leaves are turning, make sure
that the fine red ones you admire are
Virginia creeper. rather than the poison
ivy.
To the undiscriminating there Is not
much difference, but the careful student
Of such lore knows that the former has
five leaves in . cluster, the latter three
leaves.
Look carefully. therefore, before you
pick any beautiful foliage to take back
home.
Best Of all. pick no leaves ut all.
Let them remain where they beautify
the countryside and give JOY TO all who
pass that way.
Fortunately. the desire Of the American
people to tear up huge masses Of boughs
and their leaves Ii growing less year
after year. as the result Of wholesome
efforts by various public-spirited citizens
and organizations.
Even the most thoughtless automo-
bilists are beginning to see that most
wild things are not worth bringing home,
because Of their short life when torn
from their natural habitat.
Already some Of the oaks and some of
the dogwoods have turned to their beau
tiful colors, some yellows, some bright
reds.
There Is a cluster Of naples down in
Rock Creek valley which almost gives
the appearance Of sunshine on q cloudy
day, so bright and glowing are the vivid
yellows In the midst Of trees as yet
unturned.
One does not have to 60 to the woods,
however, to watch this annual and always
marvellous change. 1t Is something which
may be seen in any garden where there
are trees and shrubs.
Annual and perennial flowers seldom
do much in this regard. Their changes
are not so conspicuous; they 60 through
the same chemical processes, but rarely
do 1t pictureSquely.
Even the shrubs are not given to the
gorgeous crimsons and yellows of 50 many
of the trees. Yet often there is q beauty
TO smaller changes which can be seen
nowhere quite 50 well as in the home
garden.
The small yard affords much oppor-
tunity for Nature observation, and it is
too bad that all too many persons, espe-
cially those Of quiet disposition, feel that
to watch natural processes they must go
away somewhere. especially in woods or
along mountain paths.
49, -
One would say nothing against such
rambling but only something for the
closer observations which may be made
at home.
A tree Is tree, wherever found.
Shrubs are just as much shrubs in the
small garden as when found growing
wild in the Smokes.
1t is not necessary, really, to 60 to
the mountains Of the South to see
rhodendrons.
1t is possible to have all these things,
and hundreds more, in the garden.
No yard can have them all, but each
small garden may have some Of them.
upon occasion many Of them.
There will be considerably more than
100 species of growing things N even the
smallest garden where the cultivators are
genuinely interested in the art. 1t may
amaze many persons to take census OF
their own back yard. A most satisfactory
list can be drawn up in little while.
especially if there are two persons, one
to remind the other, and vice versa, Of
things overlooked.
Satisfactory gardening must be COM
munal affair. Its unit must be the family.
The common sight of some one person
doing the work, while other members OF