The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1944-03-27
WAVELETS
BY ED LEAMY

4AOoc VI you VIII eLlJOy IcdQluB-
and I don't mean just the comic
StripS-and who are interested In
authors and their works, should get
kick out of the Author Meets
Critics" show which is staged every
Wednesday night at 8 o'clock, over
WIN, 1850 on your dial.
The program Is simple and as in
formal as an old hat, and every bit
as enjoyable. Last Wednesday night
Miss P. L. Travers, author of the
child's book MARY Poppins" was
interviewed and chivvied by critics
John McCaffrey, Frances Fayer
head Of the children's room in the
New York Public Library, and Mil
ton Caniff world wide-known auth
or and illustrator of the syndicated
newspaper strip Terry and the Pr
ates."
The discussions which they had
were the same sort of discussions as
I have had in the past, when I num-
bered among my friends many
writer's and authors. There was
nothing studied or prepared about
them, the discussions Of course. And
therein lay their charm. So casual
were they in fact that several times
I found myself on the verge of but
ting in. And in fact may do so yet
for listeners are invited to write and
give their opinions. Best letters gets
a prize Of a subscription to the Book
Of the Month Club. Worth trying
for-if as remarked a few minutes
ago-you enjoy reading, and are not
already memebr of the club.
Next week the book to be dis
cussed will be Unfinished Business,
by Stephen Bonsell.
With Spring here and some twenty
million gardeners throughout the
United States preparing for another
year OF victory planting, (WQXR
1850 on your diaD launches its owl
garden help for listeners entitled
Gardening for Victory" beginning
Saturday, April /, from IL noon tc
1918 p. m. The series, which will be
heard each Saturday at the same
time until late in the harvest season
will be conducted by DR.. Robert H
White-Stevens, research instructor
at the New York State Agriculture
Experiment Station, Riverhead
Long Island.
The programs will give the pro-
spective gardener concise ane
simple summary of the most prac'
teal methods of growing vegetables
These methods have been worked
out by scientific as well as practi'
cal horticulturists and the instruc'
ton for WQXR listeners will be d.
rected to the climatic and soil con
ditions of New York, Long Island
New Jersey and Connecticut.
In addition, the 15-minute pro
grams will answer the questions o
listeners and will issue warnings ant
suggestion for the control of diseaS'
and insect epidemics which nigh
erdanger the crops. Emphasis vii
be placed upon continued care o
crops once they have been plante'
to avoid waste Of seeds.
DR.. White-Stevens Is an authorit
ON plant science. He Is q gradual
of McGill University in Montrea.
where he received his B.Sc. an
Masters Degree. He obtained hi
Pho. at Cornell University an
since 1887 has been research IN
structor on the staff Of the Lon
Island Vegetable Research Farm 9
New York State College of Agri
culture at Cornell University, River
head, New York.
Few musical programs have pre-
Sented such a tough problem i
handling as the "First Piano Quar-
tet,," which involves four men q
four pianos.
In playing four concert grand
simultaneously, Adam Garner. We
Padwa, Frank Mittler and Edwar
Edison, radios only keyboard four
some, have given the productio
crew plenty of worries. What coul
be done when no two of the fou
pianos played with the sam
strength? How about the fact ths
pianos are never similar in thei
dynamics? Meaning that Piano
frequently sounds louder tina
Piano B, although they are bein
played with the same touch.
When the program first went o
the air, six microphones were ne
cessary to pick up the quartet. Bu
that set-up placed too much re
sponsibility upon the man at tn
controls. who had to mix" the com
ponent parts for best results. 7
simplify matters, q single undirec
tional microphone was substitute
and the pianos relocated. The plan
list with the strongest touch wa
placed farthest from the micro
phone and a balance was the
taken for each instrument lust q
for different sections Of a symptom
orchestra.
The pianists too, no less than tn
engineers, have their problem
Their combined touch must be cIea
and crisp, a requirement which a
but rules out the use Of the. peds
Also, they must play together wit
split-second precision, for II one I
the forty fingers comes either tarc
lily or prematurely, the fault stand