Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-06-15
This and That
By Charles E. TraceUeU
"ARIINGTNN We

ARLINGTON, Va.
Dear Sir:
We planted lilacs in our yard of Door
SOIL (oak leaves many years ago. They
have only two or three blossoms. Please
tell us what care we should give them
to make them bloom.
Should We prune the too-tall ones?
AS remember, You, too, like lilacs.
There is whole village of ants
around pink dogwood tree in my yard,
In cultivating around it last fall I saw
pink worm. Would these have pre-
vented 1t blooming this spring?
Inc ants have many mounds and
tunnels around it. Are they harmful?
Your advice would be appreciated.
Respectfully, G. r. D."
Lilacs have always been a favorite
OF this column. as of all intelligent
persons. There is no shrub better.
A drawback, however, is their tenn
peramental blooming habits.
One year they bloom, the next they
do not. In the main, there are two
classes OF lilacs, those on their own
roots, and those on other stock Both
sorts have their advocates.
Weather conditions have much to do
with blooming, and in changing weather
cycles, such as the present, which had
been going on for at least 20 years.
and probably will go on for another 80
years, the lilacs often show stress by
refusing to bloom
Soil where oaks do well is acid, and
lilacs do not like acid SOIL But aka
linizing it will do little good.
Probably the best thing to do is to
prune the ilacs down to half height.
and then give to them a good dressing
OF well-rotted COW manure
These measures will do as much as
any to make a recalcitrant lilac put
forth flowers next spring They are
not, however, sure-fire. There are too
many factors involved, and too MANY
of them unknown
Some growers advocate placing old
shoes, even garbage, around the roots
of Ilacs.
Such measures seem extreme.
Some years ago we even heard of
one grower who said that if all the
leaves were stripped off in August, the
lllacs would bloom next spring.
We never got up enough nerve to try
this, although there is not much life
left to lilac leaves by September, any,
way.
Any one who tries this plan, does
so solely at his own risk.
AS for dogwoods, there is a treelet
which ought to do we'll anywhere oaks
grow.
All ants and worms at the root are
best eradicated. Any dealer in plants
and plant remedies should be able to
furnish materials to lure the ants away
and destroy them. Care should be taken
to put nothing at the root, however,
since no one can guarantee that dog
wood or any other plant will bloom every
year. AS stated, the weather has too
much to do with it, and it is better to
let a tree alone than run the risk of
killing it by putting something inimical
at the root.
Few shrubs make greater appeal to
the imagination of Americans than the
lilac. Introduced with the Colonists,
the bushes did we'll In New England
and all through the East.
These were the common old purple
ilacs, and when these do well, none does
better
Even today some of the descendants
of those first American lilacs may be
seen in deserted New England farm
lands, growing and blooming luxuri-
antly, though they receive no care at
all. Maybe there is tip there for the,
too anxious city grower.
We must keep in mind that city and
suburban conditions usually are not
ideal for plants. Usually there is too
much of something or other in the soil,
or too little of something else. Condi-
tons are never quite right. Hence we
should not expect too much of our
bushes. Sensible care is the best thing,
and even then we may fail. But with
humanity visibly failing all around us
and all around the world-to settle
obvious problems it is no wonder that
often we cannot get blooms on our
shrubs. Maybe when we learn to
grow the flowers of love, kindness and
gentleness in everyday life the world
around. the little problems OF lilacs
and others will settle themselves auto
nAtically.