Evening star., 1936-05-25
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

What our correspondent means above
In declaring that "I know you know
about such things even better than some
experts" is simply this: That practical
observation as well as theory has been
included in these articles since their
inception, thirteen years ago.
For instance, when all the aquarium
magazines were singing the praises of
old water" water which Is not changed,
in aquarium management, this column
dared to say that this idea was in error.
that the addition of fresh tempered
water, even to the tropical aquarium, was
far better.
Today the magazines agree.
Five years ago one feeding per day
for exotic fishes in the small tank was
held SUFFICIENT, but this one meal did
not strike this observer as enough, and
he said so.
Today the experts" have come around
and are advocating several small meals
a day rather than Just one large one
The trouble with theoretical observers
Is that they rely too much on the books,
which, in their turn, carry statements
handed down from one to another, with
out any variation in the long line.
II the honest observer, who sees what
he sees, dares get up at a meeting and
say what he has seen the chances are
that he will be howled down by some
one who has read the books" and doesn't
dare to observe for himself, or who will
not admit he can be right, even if he
does observe.
Thus, if you hear a wood thrush sing
ing while running along the ground,
dare to admit the evidence of your own
ears. Do not let some one OUTAGE you
by the blanket statement that mo bird
sings on the ground" Some do If you
find the thrush the frfendliest of birds,
coming to within two feet of you while
watering the lawn, or within a few
inches Of getting his tail cut of by the
lawn mower, do not hesitate to say so
to your friends. If their thrushes are
not so friendly they are missing some
thing. This writer knows thrush that
hops into garage every chance it gets.
1t will not do. however. to infer that
because one sees several thruShes sing
ing while on the ground that all thrushes
invariably so do. Nature observation is
scientific, and must proceed along those
lines even to the humbleSt back yard.
It is better to pin the observations
down to the given cases and let it go at
that.
There is a great deal of pure hokum
written about plants, probably more so
than about anything except tropical
fishes. Some of the most glaring errors
are made by those writers who have had
no personal experience with the things
they are writing about. Often they are
not to be blamed for this. Their very
ignorance, however, prevents them from
catching their own mistakes. If you
have never actually seen the Siamese
fighting fish build a bubble nest" in
an aquarium it is very easy to confuse
it with an angel fish. which lays its eggs
on the blades of saggitaria. But you
can't confuse it if you have seen both.
Any one interested in perennial plants
and vines can find huge lists, but ex-
perience will teach him that all that
glitters is not necessarily the gold of the
salesman's representations. The latter
is not to be blamed, particularly; he is
giving the generally accepted opinion.
There may be exceptions.
Actually vines are difficult plants, no
matter what one says. They have a
nasty habit of dying out when least ex-
pected. or failing to come up at all.
Most of them, with the exception of the
climbing roses leaf out rather late.
Yet no growing thing is more familiar
to the heart and soul of humanity than
a vine. Poetry and legend are entwined
with its leaves and runners. Let us have
vines by all means, even if they are
messy in practice