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Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 220, 11 June 1921, Page 9

The smaller display of flowers in the London parks is not merely a continuation of war economy, says the London "Times." It is an unexpected result of motor traffic. Most improvements bring with thorn some disadvantage.. Tho replacement of horses by mechanical transport has made it possible to waterproof roads and streets with a film of tar and pitch. The effect on vegetation can be seen along tho edges of tho road where the spraying of tar or its hot fumes have killed the herbage. But the trouble has gons further. When the roads carried horse traffic the dust was heavy and blew into the parks only in a strong w-nd. Even when it reached tnc flower-beds it did little harm, partly' because of its chemical nature, partly because of the relatively largo size of its particles. But the now traffic and the new road surface produce a fine, almost impalpable dust rising in the lightest breeze, moved even by tho eddies which the sw.ftiy-moving vehicles raise. The powder settles on the beds which used to be gay with flowers, chokes mechanically tho br e»T’ ing pores of the leaves, and bfights the growth l as if it were weed-killer. Pcihaps the solution will prove to be some form of rubber pavement. A good story against himself is be m, told by a Nonconformist divine of the severe old school, who, 'nowever. Is not without a sense of humour Early one week ho was travelling north. Just before ho got to York lie opened the carriage window, with the result that ho got a. piece <’>f grit in his eye. Ho rubbed it and did tho usual things, but it el ill troubled him, and every now and again he had involuntarily fo wink. W lien He got to York lie went into the buffet and asked for a glass of milk. This brine served ho gulped it down, and I hen. realising that something was wrong, ho said to tho barmaid, "That wasn t milk; was if ?” "No, sir, rum .and milk. "But I asked you for milk.”. 'Acs, sir, but yon tipped me tho wink.