Evening star., 1948-05-01
This and That
Bu Charles E Trace,Deu


What to do with tree stumps in a suburban
yard?
Many people try to burn them out, pictur-
esque proceeding especially at night, but one
which gets surprisingly little results.
After all, there is nothing like digging EN-
out But what chore!
Even the smallest tree takes circle at least
feet in diameter, and many feet deep, for
those roots were put there to hold a mighty
tower.
Why not leave the stumps?
They can be used as bird feeding stations
or as bird baths.
For this they require little fixing but when
the job is done it gives good effect, solving
the problem OF the unwanted stump.
The stump stays, but instead of being an
eyesore, it becomes an object of interest, as
most things do that become useful.
The stump is planed off as fatty as possible.
Then it is given at least three coats of good
paint OF which the first may be aluminium
paint to good advantage.
StumpS of almost any tree will not rot much.
but certain protection is necessary.
Then sprouts may come up around the rim.
These should be kept cut off.
To the tree minded person there always will
be something sad about this determined effort
of the roots to send sprouts into the light and
air
One hates to stop it, but the human desire
comes first, evidently.
So the shoots are cut off as they appear The
job will have to be repeated several times dur
ing the spring and summer, especially with a
locust
If the top is to be used as a bird feeder, all
that is necessary is to sprinkle seed and grain
on it. Some will be pushed off, but the birds
will find it.
Sometimes the gardener may wish to use a
certain stump for one particular sort of Seed
such as Sunf1ower, or he may want to place
peanuts there for the squirrels.
AS bird bath, the tree stump shines, but
it must be processed. The best way is to dig
out the stump to basin shape, and then line
it with a good cement mixture, perhaps
carrying it we'll over the edge all around.
This bath should never be more than two
inches Deep at the most in the center, with
gentle slope up to the edges, so that not
too much Water will be Topped out by bath
ing robins and Starlings.
These are two Of the greatest f1oppers in
birdland
They like the stump bath, and so do the
others.
If tree stump is to be used for the bath,
the tree should be cut off not more than a
foot from the ground, or two feet, at the
highest
For a feeding station, two or three feet
high is good.
1t should be realized that these construc-
tions may not be permanent.
Though tree stump seldom will rot of
itself, when one wants 1t to. it often goes
to pieces rapidly when one does not desire
it,
In such cases, little first aid will be
necessary, and with these helpful touches
the construction will remain more or less in
tact for many years.
Ivy planted at the base of stumps shortly
hides them.
There is no reason to worry about them
as so many people do. America was land
OF stumps, for many years after the white
folks landed.
Today few stumps in small yard bring
back, in little, pioneer days. days when the
land was young, when the air was filled with
strange and beautiful birds.
If we can retain something of that sense
of wonder that must have been the share of
at least certain of the pioneers, we have
done good deal, and maybe an old stump
will play part