Evening star., 1947-06-25
This and That
By Charles E. Trdce1DeH.
EVANSVILLE, Md.


Dear Sir:
For long while I have wanted to be
one of those to tell you of my constant inter-
est in your column. have kept many Of your
articles on file, classified, and always look for
them in The Star.
"I have one dated April 3, 1896, on Sweet
Woodruff which I treasure. I have some now,
the third attempt to grow 1t.
"Rereading your article today, I realized I
should have it in semishade, so moved it at once.
I'VE live in house formerly owned by bird
lovers, who had wren houses in the old apple
trees, sheltered feeding shelf in one of them,
and half bowls mounted against window sills.
They feed when I am close to the window,
about feet from thep
Last winter number of purple fnches ap-
peared at my window and continued coming,
driving other birds away and quarreling among
themselves. The males had little chance to
get food if one particular female was eating.
II must say I was glad to see them depart.
Fox sparrowS came, too Their stripes were
confusing.
once the cardinal came with a new family.
Among them was a fluffy female with short
black beak, unable to eat the seeds for long
while She was like an ugly duckling, showed
aside by the others, evidently not appre-
ciating her or wanting her. I myself called her
Frumpy, at the same time sympathizing with
her. Sincerely yours, I. M. w"
"P. SIT is $40 am. and my cardinal is
still eating seed.
Sweet woodruff is one of the large list OF
plants. herbal in nature which beckon to
humanity by way of the mind.
One has to know about it to want to plant it.
No friend will rush you into buying it, for it
is not that sort of thing.
Enthusiasts about sweet woodruff and similar
plants are not exactly born, of course; they
make themselves by reading or suddenly run
ming into the plant in friends garden, 4
1t is not snowy, but nestles down in a shady
place, and then one fine day, If it has liked its
situation, it surprises you by spreading out.
1t is late spring, and you find you have q
real planting of sweet woodruff with its lacy
leaves and small white flowers.
1t is not sentiment exactly that wins its
friends, but conjunction of admiration for a
good plant and the lore behind it..
This is known in Europe as master of the
woods" an odd phrase enough, until you realize
they meant this spreading habit, not that 1t
was large or snowy.
It is neither, but it gets there Just the same.
In the old countries, when the inhabitants
weren't brewing wars, they were brewing beers
and other drinks, and sweet woodruff was one
of the ingredients.
We made a tea out of it once and nearly
choked on the first swallow. Undoubtedly 1t
would be better as part of drink.
In the elder days the herbalists held it good
for many ailments. They seemed to like to
string out the list of maladies each plant was
good for. The truth is, at least we see it
today, that it has no medical value.
So many of the old plants have none that it
makes no difference today, when we invite
them to our borders. They stand for some
thing If we value the past, and what they stand
for is the rowing, questing human mind, trying
to find out things Today 1t looks as If we have
found out too much. Well, no matter Till the
bombs fall let us continue our sowing and reap
ing. our hoping and dreaming. Maybe we will
wake up in better world, where mind does not
come to the end Of its tether, but goes on to
fulhllment. That we have dreamed of fulfill
ment in many good book, seen 1t in bird
on the wing. heard it In music and the voices
of loved ones-tilat shall be our blessing.