Evening star., 1945-10-23
This and That
By Charles E. Truce,Deu.
FALLS CHURCH, Va,

Dear Sir:
Any one who is fortunate, or un-
fortunate, enough to have a DR.. Van
Fleet rose trailing the entire width
and height of his home can do a real
service for the birds as well as him.
self by pruning it severely before it is
too late.
This 10-year-old vine was much
taller than an elephants eye, and had
really climbed to the peak of the roof
and Travelled toward the center Chin
ney, with seven or eight spires the
size OF quarter in diameter
What a glorious sight late in Nav
OF each year. with its covering of shell
pink blossoms, and what a joy it has
been these many years until the dis
coVery that 1t had coiled itself around
the lead-in electric wires and the in
sulator, so in the thought of protec-
ton against fire hazard it had to be
pruned, and was really a blessing in
disguise, as these prolific roses will
do much better in future years after
a severe pruning
1t was out of the question to dispose
OF the enormous pile of trimmings.
which managed to pile closely in one
heap at the edge of the yard to afford
winter haven for the five or six young
towhees who promise to remain with
me this winter
MY all-winter birds are lust re-
turning from their vacations, including
the dove, and several dozen robins have
been making cleanup of the dogwood
berries on their stopover fight south.
Sincerely yours, o. E. c."
4 "
The gardener feels as if he had taken
on a bout with couple of wildcats,
after he has tangled for time with
a Van Fleet climber
Even the stoutest leather gloves give
only moderation protection from the
great thorns
AS for ordinary cloth garden gloves.
they are penetrated as easily as if they
had been made of paper.
Those mighty thorns give evidence
OF the sturdinesS of the whole incom-
parable vine, one of Americas fav-
orltes, never likely to be displaced.
The DR.. Van Fleet rose may suffer
from insects, but 1t comes up triumph
ant every time, tossing off millions of
plant lice as if they were nothing
at all.
1t is hardy vine of the first degree.
running rampant, as our correspon-
dent says, over any house, and some
times causing trouble.
1t grows so Justify that it will cover
windows and block out the light.
Then the problem of what to do
with 1t arises. The home owner is
torn between remembering the elori-
Gus blooms and the smudging lIp of
the house walls which the canes cause.
The experienced owner is also held
back by recalling what those stickers
will do to his hands, and to his ewes.
If he is not careful.
1t is very easy. when wrestling with
rose canes, to have one swing around
ana catch one squarely in the eve.
Such an injury is serious and must
De guarded against at all costs. This
is not easy when one is aloft in the
wind.
Even thorn wounds in the fingers and
hands cause trouble unless every pre-
caution Is taken.
The thorn must be removed at once
and then the whole hand washed care
iuliy with soap and hot water. After
arylng one OF the popular staining
geTmicides should be applied.
u must be kept in mind that thorns
collect all the dust that blows, and
aust may or may not have inimical
germ life as part of it's being.
We tend to think of outdoor things
as clean, and so they are, in a sense.
but 1t Is seldom that they are anti
septic in any real sense.
1t is good idea to keep a watch
for all outdoor wounds, and to lose no
time in disinfecthg them carefully
and at once.