Jan. 3A Scotch friend has just handed me Of fats, seeds, nuls ele: a tree thus Left In the arden' all winter is said to attract many birds [Such us Tits, Finches, Nuthaiches, Woodpeckers, ete...-.qulle a pretty for those who fea afford it, and one which comes opportunely st the time'of Twelfth Night when Christmas Jand New Year decorations are thrown away oF burnt in the traditional manner. Tweltth Night is also the proper time for "wassailing" a5 this slight adventure into the realms of ancient story will show. Tt al began somewhere about ithe year 450 whin Henglst and Horsa arrived in the county of Kent; they were not a team of musie-hall artists as the ames may" uggest; ftaey were a couple of swashbuckling "Saxon soldiers in search of work, and soon got the usual job of fighting the Picis and Scots,...which they ald with such success that Hengisi ball his Iowa caste near Sittingbourne, where he gave a reception for King Vortigern of Britain: now, Hengist had a pulchritudinous daughter "CRow= fesa)—and she entered the room bearing a stoup ff ale and said to Vortigern, "Waes had, hlaford Gyning!, this being the early English equivalent lof here's mud in your e¥e, oh Kingi: Vortigern was so, pleased that he promptly: married the girl and perpetuated the custom of "Waes-haclfng"—or wasssiling—on or about January, and jslihough we go a-waszalling at Christmas and [New Year, we do s0 more correctly on Twelfth Night, Tk is also said that Hengist and Horse met with much of their success by being able distinguish the Picts from the Seois which nobody else could do); this they did by throwing down pence on the battlfeld and noting. that AMT those who picked them up first were Scots. And now Tom wondering it thig bird-Christ ras—iree idea will really prove a success in Jan, 5—Everybody appears to be making New Year resolutions these days and. there reason why they should not do so, despite the fact that few of the resolutions will be kept jong. We can think of a number of resolu and it they were made by the right peopl for broken, the world would become Sir T. More's imaginary Island of Utopia. than is today. Some of us may decide "to ive and Tet live" while others "could resolve no ge a fee for permitting a person to. trans for his own produce from his country" garden to his town apartment. if we were a "large" Person, we may even resolve not to. grant a huge increase to halt of our staff and throw the remainder of the men on to the labour market and, eventually, Into the ways of the Wicked. The "small" man might be delighted 9 earn of that n being made. and kept and he would reason to feel happy for he Is generally unable, and perhaps, wilting, fo emulate the example and reduce his Staff by halt Some of us might resolve not 10 place ust-covered stones. in coal. baskets oF Ail chickens with rice or some heavier material before we sell them. We might even decide not to buy eggs in town and take them out on toa country Toad to sell as "fresh" or not to pi {rubber tube In the gasolene tanka and siphon 4 "little for the cleaner." Some of us might re-five not to place our wares in other people's iting rooms without having Arst received per= faission to do 807 it this resolution was made, the rush to- purchase. chain-locks "might be halted. Many' of us could resolve not to be too Impatient with a plant that is not living up to expectations and to think twice before we throw
we. sha away; We could alo past' reaoutin that Thiekly during the current year, and by keeping this resolution, be saved the pain of having to sacrifice some of them at a later date. We could continue resolving indefinitely; but we fear that all the resolutions it ig possible to' make, will for bring this old, world of ours much nearer {o the Utopia of Sir Thomas More—ws.k.
Jon, 7—We have received an enquiry regarding the custom of tying fir branches fo the masts of steamers in port and also a request for the name of the tree that Is resent beating seed pods that look "like the bristles on the face of an unshaved mat The deciduous tree in question is Catalpa ovate, close relative of the Indian Bean tree. It is indigenous to China, has large leaves and bears showy panicles of whitish flowers in May or June, The flowers are followed by long, narrow, feylindrle pods, bunched fairly close together these pods are persistent; they remain on the trees all winter. The catalpa is a most useful quick-growing shade tree; but it is lable to be damaged during the typhoon season owing to its heavy "head." Pollarding encourages the tree to produce large leaves which are very tropical and ornamental in appearance. The tying of *Fie" branches to the masts of steame Is, we believe, an old custom connected with Crites masse (ihe Mass of Christ) and it has no connection with the Chinese custom of tying branches on the top of poles during the bulld~ Ing of houses or the opening of new establishments, The use of Spruce trees at Christmastime dates back to the ancient Roman festival of Saturn; but the practice was not really introduced into England until the reign of Queen Victoria. We are asked why Boxing Day is called by that name and whether it has any connection with the fistic art. It Is, of course, very probable, that some people have good reason' to connect the day with a display' of boxing: too much ich food does affect the tempers of some of Killed 524 people, injured 1,264 and destroyed £2,000,000 worth of property. By the standards of 1940 that was chicken-feed, But the blows of the bitterest air war in human. history find London stern and steely still—the anvil that will break the German hammer, us. However, the-day after Christmas Day was the day that boxes, hung at church doors for the receipt of offerings for the poor, were opened and -their contents distributed; hence the name-—w39
Jan, 9—It Is very easy to Identity Melia frees in the country these days: the large clusters of yellow fruits, hanging from leafless branches, cannot escape attention, We are of the opinion that the Melia is one of the best of our local ornamental trees: its habit 1g Ideal for many locations: It can with stand drought and also floods:. Its foliage is very graceful: the numerous Ulae lowers which bears in Spring are fragrant: its.trult Is conspicuous and its roots are anthelmintic, Surely that should be sufficient; but we are still not satisfied. We wish.that the tree were easier to {transplant when it has attained a fair size, When in the sapling stage, It transplants easily but when older, It resents"belng moved. We have seen dozens transplanted carefully and at the proper time, but the result has always been the same! Some will "play possum" until late in Spring and then send out. strong. shoots galore: others will grow as. it they hed not been: disturbed, while still others will just refuse to start into growth. We wonder whether birds really like Melia fruit, they: are said to Uke it, but we have noticed large quantities 1ying on the ground untouched while birds have been enjoying the fruit of pittosporum nearby perhaps they would eat it if there was no other food available. The 'Melia has more' than ils: share of common names: it is known as the Texas Umbrella Tree, the Pride of India, the China ree and the Bead Tree: such popularity must be deserved=—w-r1
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.