MARCH. 75 



ON PRESERVING SEEDS FROM BIRDS. 



As the time of year has now arrived for sowing Seeds, it may be of 

 some importance to know how to preserve them from being destroyed 

 by chaffinches, greenfinches, &c. as soon as they make their appear- 

 ance above ground. 



All gardeners know the difficuhy of keeping these Httle intruders 

 at a respectfid distance from their seed-beds in spring. My plan of 

 doing so is simple but effectual: with me it is no new discovery, 

 having practised it with the greatest success for these last six years. 

 I have tried it with vegetable seeds of all kinds that birds will attack. 

 I prepare my seeds before sowing, and when that is done, I can follow 

 any other part of my business without any further care, as far as birds 

 are concerned. My plan is this : I have a flower-pan, a new painter's 

 brush that has never been used for any other purpose, a bottle of 

 turpentine, and a quantity of red lead ; these are all kept together in 

 a small basket, ready for use at any time when they are required. 

 The seed-beds being ready, as much seed is put in the flower-pan as 

 is required to be sown on each separate bed ; a little turpentine is 

 then poured on, and the red lead added ; it is then well worked round 

 the pan with the painter s brush until every seed has become thoroughly 

 coated. Care should be taken in the first instance not to use too much 

 turpentine, as it takes more lead than is necessary to dry it up again, 

 in order to get the seeds well separated before they are sown. When 

 seeds are well coated as above, the rain never washes it off, and it 

 does not destroy the vitality of the seeds in the least. I know that 

 red lead was recommended for the same purpose some years ago j but 

 used with water alone, I found it could not be depended upon. I 

 have long known that birds do not like the smell of turpentine, but 

 to test this knowledge I used two sorts of sawdust for the same pur- 

 pose ; one sort was from foreign deals which contained a large portion 

 of turpentine, the other was from elm, and of course contained none : 

 the birds did not at all like the former, but the last named was not 

 the least protection, as I have often seen them basking in it on a 

 sunny day. This is the third year I have tried it with autumn-sown 

 Peas as a protection against mice; they have once or twice tried a 

 row, but that trial, in all probability, cost them their lives. Of the 

 Peas I sowed last autumn not one has been touched, though I know 

 that there are mice in the garden. 



Taplow Lodge. J. Holland. 



REVIEWS. 



Garden Almanacs for 1854. 



We have carefully perused these productions, five in number, com- 

 mencing with Glenni/'sj in Avhich we regret to find so much scurrility 

 and abuse, and so little of that kind of information on gardening 



