Evening star., 1949-10-22
This and That
By Charles E. TraceweH

Is 1t pokeberry time in your yard?
- II so, you have plenty Of birds.
Few berries are liked better by ths songs
ters. They fly In, sample few berries. then
fly away.
D., They are heady berries, full of bright juice
strong and tasty-if you are bird.
II you are human and one may hope you
are. then the pokeberries are not for you.
In the old days, when hearts were young
and fortunately some hearts are always
young-one made link" out of them.
Pokeberry bushes get planted in odd ways.
They have habit of coming up in shrub
berry, especially shrubbery which is not
pruned as it should be pruned.
This is the great home garden failure.
Many q tidy housewife, many q good
gardener, looks with pride on everything
except the foundation planting.
The shrubs are overgrown, moth eaten
as it were, much too large. much too thick,
and often much too sickly looking, because
they are hard to handle, and not every one
knows when and how to chop.
Pruning shrubs is a subject all by itself.
Probably the average homeowner could solve
it easily enough by plain old-fashioned cut
ting away. chips falling where they may.
-
thinning them out from the sides
Surely that is elementary pruning. enough
to cause first class plant man to Shudder,
but it would be better than to permit shrubs
and evergreens to grow for 30 years
untouched.
The touching time finally comes, of course.
The things grow so high and 80 wide, and
so darken the downstairs rooms. especially
the living room that the owner Is driven to
act.
He cuts 'em all down.
He hews to the line, he lets the whole
thing. not just the chips, fall where they
may.
He piles them on the parking, and finds
out that no one will collect them.
He inquiries among the neighbors. and
finds out that the collector is very discrimi-
mating. He refuses to take anything unless it
is cut into foot lengths.
So one, naturally enough. cuts 1t all up
into foot lengths to the very inch. But the
larger pieces look so nice that way one de-
cides to use them. Cut bit smaller, they will
burn in the fireplace just as well as any.
They go into the garage. and all that Is
left is neat pile of boughs and branches.
each exactly feet long, to the inch.
Will this appease the collector?
One watches as the wagon comes along.
The question is. "Will he take them now?"
Will he take them now, now that one has
complied with the self-drawn-up regula-
tions?
Well, here he comes!
The big red van lumbers along. goes past
a few feet. The contraption isn't going to
stop. Now just wait until see that man
again
The van comes to a stop. One breathes
easier. One nas complied with all regula-
tions, there is no reason why he shouldn't
stop, but 1t always makes one breathe easier
when he does.
Yes, he is going to stop. he does stop, he
gets out, he surveys the pile with critical
eye.
One fully expects him to get out tape
measure now. and take test reading
One can see him critically adding up the
score. "One bough. 40 inches / inch too
long; this bough. full 54 inches, q full
inches too long; this here bough, at least
10 inches too long"
No, he is satisfied he is picking them up,
he is tossing them in. A little portion Of
ones tax money Is paying off. at last
Away goes the van, with most Of the
boughs and branches. One is happy to clean
up the rest.
This is government in operation.
This is what Washington fought for. It
all comes down to red van numbering down
the street
And the happy householder, breathing
easier. looks fond]y at his pokeberry bushes.
They will have to 60 next. but not until the
birds get through with them.