Show Your Ow THE V AR ISH TREE BLOOMS In my garden I have a young varnish tree which Is 15 now in full bloom and I know from the comments comments comments com com com- ments of 0 my g garden visitors thatto that thatto to o most people it is an an unknown quantity Yet it is a tree of af easy culture and of undoubted loveliness at all seasons More properly called the l teria this tree is a native nativo of China where some species are found which ar arc not hardy in severe American winters however the variety I possess pos pos- seas sess withstood withstood with with- stood tho the extreme winter we had three years years' ago and and seemed to suffer suf sut- fer in no no way at all with th the thermometer thermometer ther ther- mom eter registering 20 degrees below below be- be low ow zero The varnish tree got gOl its difficult name from a famous German scientist scion scion- list Joseph G G. G Foli Foliage ge of the tree Is v very handsome hand handsome some some at all times tirres perhaps more so than any other time in early erly spring as it starts to unfold for then it displays hues of of pink and red along with its tender gre green n. n Each leaf is with serrated edge showing show- show lag ing ng as many as 13 leaflets each Even did the thc tree never flower it would be well worth giving a prominent prominent prominent nent place in the landscape scene Its lovely foliage tollage alone But when the blooms appear in late J July ly the whole tree has the thc appearance of being covered and surrounded by a golden haze for forthe forthe the he blossoms coine come in sprays composed composed com corn posed of tiny individual al flowers at the end of every branch These individual flowers when examined closely are both beautiful beautiful ful and interesting but difficult to describe The sprays or clusters are area a afoot foot long or even more Fruits which form from the flowers flowers flow flow- ers era are unique and hang on on the tree for tor months changing color as they age They start by being green green In three sided pods then they become yellow red and brown They always remind me of oC the Chinese lantern plants except that they are not quite so showy Each pod will contain a number of ot round seeds the size ola ol of of a a. pea and these seeds are easily germinated I have given numbers of them away to gardening friends all of whom have now I 1 hope afew a afew afew few thriving seedling plants of the varnish tree Remember this tree when you arc thinking about planting either in fall tall or spring QUERIES Mrs J. J L L. Murray writeR write I 1 have a beautiful coleus plant but around the edges the leaves are arc brown broun and brittle I water ater it o ery every cry da day arid and every ery other week neck give Jive in the tile theater water ater a ami d It gets Jets t the ie morning sun Lately it has hM meal mealy bugs How can I get Jet rid of them Also how oft often n should dahlias cannas and gladIoli gladioli glad glad- ioli loll bo be w watered 1 Answer The best thing I have ever used for Cor mealy bu bug is is' is S which makes make a a milky looking solution tion lion to be sprayed on the affected I plant It may need two or three sprayings to get rid of all the mealy P bugs but It will do it in the end The coleus is very prone to be attacked attacked attacked at at- tacked by mealy bug also to burn burnon on the foliage in hot weather Coleus plan plants deteriorate when they get old Since they are so easy to root from slips and the young pl plants are far Car superior why jont clont you ou make some cuttings now and then you can forget your our old plant Dahlias require Aplenty of oC water Glads and cannas ma may get along with less As to how often they need watering plenty of oC people grow these flowers Clowers who have irrigating Irrigating gating water at their disposal only once a week A thorough soaking then followed by plenty of cultivation cultivation cultivation tion serves very well But the soaking really must be one which penetrates a foot toot deep not deep not just a alight alight alight light one ne on the surface of the soil talking above all the other girls as you came down the street How many times must I tell you to tone down your voice A rebuke given an adolescent before before be be- fore his friends arouses feelings of humiliation and antagonism more often than it arouses a desire to change his ways |