Evening star., 1936-05-16
THIS AND THAT
By CHARLES Z. TRlcEHELk.

Pealike blossoms Of the common locust,
foamy white and sweet, made the air
fragrant with one Of the best odors Of
the Spring.
Great bumblebees thought 20, too.
They came in from near and far to
enjoy the nectar, buzsing loudly against
window screens as they went to the feast.
The locust tree Is enare and . delu.
sion In some respects, since It grows 20
large and looks 30 solid and yet Is so
easily uprooted by Summer storms.
Yet at blossom time It more than
repays the beholder with sensitive
nostrils.
There are many ways to enjoy the
Spring, and one Of the best Is 70 smell 1t.
Unlimber the old nose, draw in drafts
Of the many outdoor fragrances which
come at this time Of year.
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OF these. few will excel the locust
trees In bloom.
They are all the sweeter because 30
short-ltved. Not even the usual two
week period Of most Towering things,
but only q few days, and yet in those
days Thousands of bees enjoy life to the
full.
Locust honey is one Of the best. The
person whose powers of smell have not
been dulled by tobacco or time will re-
joice with the bees in their honey making.
The eyes have 1t, too, when it comes
to the locust. At its best, it is a pic
turesque tree, often with two main
branches, In some instances growing
almost from the ground.
The habit of growth is interesting,
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living room treatment. 1t must be ad-
mitted at the same time, however. that
the common locust has serious faults in
addition to the lack Of good root system
to hold 1t up in Summer squalls.
Branches of the locust are forever
dying. little at a time, to drop of in
the thunderstorms. The fall of the white
blossoms ltters up the lawn. After
every late afternoon storm in Summer
scores Of small branches, sometimes
larger ones, must be picked up. These
have "stickers" on them, hence must be
handled with caution. A locust win do
well, In many instances, for from to IL
years. After that, the lower branches
die, leaving q sprawl of leaves at the top.
This peak may be 90 feet from the
ground.
Before locust gets into this condi.
ton, 1t should be severly cut back. As
far as we know. it Is one of the few trees
which respond well to topping. Properly
topped, locust throws out new
branches, at the point of cutting. It
seems to be q matter Of good fortune or
the reverse whether this subsequent
growth, of water shoots" as sometimes
called, Is picturesque or the reverse. But
undoubtedly it keeps many locust alive
and growing which otherwise would be
all but dead for years before a high wind
toppled it to the ground at last.
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II q locust is comparatively near the
house, the sweet smell Of its blossoms
will permeate the rooms, and give that
added delight to the home.
Such natural fragrances are far Su-
perior to incense of any type. It is for
this reason that at least q few hlacs
should be placed in the foundation
planting Of the average small house.
Nothing Is more delightful than to smell
the lilacs as their fragrance enters on
wings Of the morning, fresh with natural
dew. This is far better than cutting
them and removing them indoors to
vase.
As near to q natural fragrance as one
can get out Of kettle is to boil tea
spoonful of the dried leaves of the Yerba
Santa, or holy herb, Of the California
hills. This is highly aromatic, but not