Evening star., 1949-09-28
This and That
By Charles E. TraceweU

g. q. asks how about doing an item as
ne puts it. on the value of the wild cherry
Tree as an attraction to birds Of all kinds !?
Many people have cut and talked about
cutting these trees" he writes, because of
the tent caterpillars which thrive on them
IN the spring. but all this Is greatly Offset
ny the variety OF birds that feed on the
ripened fruit,
ltS value as an attraction to the birds
1ar offsets the disagreeable few days of tent
caterplllars (and they can be controlled).
The wild cherry deserves to have a higher
rating than it receives.
Note: II any one wants to keep praying
mantis eggs, keep the case tied to your
wlndowsill on the outside-same weather
conditions prevail as in natural habitat
ana you Will be able to see them emerge
at the proper season of Matching.
do not remove p. m. egg case from twip "
There are many trees and plants that have
drawbacks, in the cultivated home gardens
and grounds. but which still draw the birds.
mat TACT should make one hesitate to
destroy them, especially if, through the
bounty OF nature, they plant themselves.
having been brought by wind or other
agency.
Blackberry bushes, for instance.
These and other things with thorns often
cause the home owner to fume. Especially
when he gets stuck)
Harmless old burdocks growing wild.
seem OUT OF place in neat garden Actu-
ally, If not too many, they make fine plants.
we recall one growing by front steps.
This specimen was luxuriant and the
laughable fact was that no visitor ever recog-
nized 1t. but all admired it immensely and
asked what it was!
The world is full of common plants.
Most OF them are called weeds. But what
Is weed, after all, but plant? And often
very good plant. at least from the stand
point OF plants. We are so used. in our
human way, to regarding everything from
our own viewpoint, that we tend to forget
that all things have their own standpoints.
Because it is forced to grow under unfavor-
able conditions, it puts forth more growing
power, and hence often rivals the less sturdy
thing grown under better conditions.
Queen AnneS lace, with its greenish heads
OF flowers, graceS many vacant lot. The
color, for flower. is not so good, but the
arrangement Is fine.
We must take the growing things at their
own values, If we aim to get the most from
the many curious and lovely creations of
nature. They were not planned for us in
the least. They were planned, if we can
guess out OF an abundant curiosity and a
,A'AA AAAo6AAidt4OAA. INOtIl1llS less can account
for the thousands of plant forms, or for
the multitudinous insects, for that matter
II we stop long enough we will watch the
birds eat the cherries. and not begrudge
them one.
The wild cherry is universal fayorite
II more were planted there would be fewer
raids on the cultivated trees.
This is because the birds like the WILDER
and thus naturaLones the best. III is as
easy as that. There may be some pests. but
these can be controlled, as our correspondent
says. !
No one with yard, however small, should
be in too great hurry to get rid of
some growing thing just because it has a
bad feature. 1t may be that the plant has
several good features, too. One should be
sure Of these before condemning any speci-
men of natures offering. Even the poison
Ivy plant, q nuisance and too often q real
hurt to humanity. Is pretty in Its season,
especially in the fall when the leaves grow
a beautiful red. The home owner had better
be up and about it, roofing up poison ivy,
though. Some birds even like the seeds Of It.
Perhaps bird liking is not the best test, but
1t Il always an interesting one and should
b kept Ia mind when the value OF any
olant IN In ~ daeffiAd