Evening star., 1945-10-20
This and That
By Charles E. Traceuell.
CHEVY CHASE, Nd

CHEVY CHASE, Md.
Dear Sir:
Il wish something else could be done
with falling leaves except to burn them,
as so many do. These days our suburban
communities are like public dumps,
especially on Saturdays and Sundays,
when so many of us want peace and
quiet.
''I have come to the conclusion that
many persons do not have sensitive
noses, but do not mind at all the acrid.
frowsy smell of heaps of burning gar
den trash. Leaves themselves often give
pungent, autumny smell, but Just
garden trash is something else again.
Probably if people were not in such
hurry they would not have such stink
ing bonfires. but to pile load after load
on before the first is burned out SIM
ply makes ill-smelIing factors arise into
the ether.
Lack OF proper combustion gives
rise to these ill-smelling factors and
at the same time offers some chance of
setting something else on fire This is
particularly true If q rain comes up
1 have seen bonfires which have lasted
under such conditions, for So hours
or more.
Surely there is something which can
be done with falling leaves besides
burning them up, making a pail of
smoke over community for hours at
time, at the very time when many
persons are home and want to enjoy the
pure fresh air, which was one of the
paramount reasons why they moved to
the suburbs.
VERY truly, MARY JANE L."
No doubt many suburban residents
will be inclined to agree with Miss L.
Still others will not but may regard
her as a sort of Miss Fussbudget, be-
cause their nasal passages are not sensi-
tive to the odors of burning leaves
and trash.
Many persons even profess to find
something 80 wonderful" in burning
leaves
They do not mind their homes filled
with such smell. They let windows
stay open, while great gusts of gray
white smoke billow through.
The sensitive person will wrinkle UP
his or her nose at the very idea. In
some families it is routine for all doors
and windows to be closed at the first
hint of smoke.
Good weather stripping will prevent
almost all of the odor from getting in.
There may be slight nasty residue,
which can be exercised by using one
Of the deodorizers now so popular.
X X
There is, of course, something that
can be done with falling leaves besides
burning them.
The trouble comes in making people
realize it. The fact seems to be that
burning leaves is real sport for many
persons. Adults get greater kick" out
If it than children.
The compost pile is the best solution.
1t is far better than destroying all
this fine material. Bonfires often in
jure. melt down aud destroy the edges
of streets in suburban areas.
A better solution to their best use is
the compost heap, In which leaves are
placed, with alternating layers of lime,
so that over some months the vegetable
matter is broken down and made into
material good for fertilizing gardens,
from vegetable crops to flowers, and
even lawns
This takes time, it is true, but it may
be hastened by the purchase of chem
icals made for just this purpose The
compost heap is one of the refinements
of home gardening. Hasty gardeners do
not bother with it.
The old-timer, however, knows the
value of compost and the difficulty of
getting good material of this sort in
the market.
1t seems a shame to him to burn up
| good material in world where there
are not enough materials of various
kinds to go around. In addition, the
| use of leaves in composing helps keep
the air pure and clean and makes every
suburban community what it should be
in this respect. The shock and de-
| struction Of bombing left smoke over
large sections OF the earth. It seems
| rather senseless to initiate such con-
ditions and to bring them to areas which
were protected from such things BY
| millions Of brave men.