1880.1 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



173 



be told that the birds live on insects in early 

 spring, if they take all your summer fruits in 

 return. In European countries, where birds 

 abound to a greater extent than with us, they 

 find it profitable to cover cherry and other trees 

 with cheap fishing nets. In very large orchards, 

 both there and here, there is little necessity for 

 this, as there is enough to spare for the birds 

 and the orchardist too. Boys are sometimes 

 employed with clackers to make a noise and 

 drive them away, but this would not probably 

 scare an American bird. We once saw this 

 plan tried at Rochester, New York, and noted 

 that while the boy would be stooping to find 

 stones, the robin would cut in, steal the cherries 

 and be off again before the boy could send the 

 stone after him, and seemed rather pleased with 

 the exciting sport. 



Peas for a fall crop may be sown. It is, how- 

 ever, useless to try them unless in a deeply 

 trenched soil, and one that is comparatively 

 cool in the hottest weather overhead, or they 

 will certainly mildew and prove worthless. In 

 England where the atmosphere is so much more 

 humid than ours, they nevertheless have great 

 difficulty in getting fall Peas to go through free 

 from mildew ; and to obviate these drying and 

 mildew-producing influences, they often plant 

 them in deep trenches, made as for Celery, and 

 are then much more successful with them. 



Cabbage and Brocoli may still be set out for 

 fall crops, also requiring an abundance of ma- 

 nure to insure much success. Lettuce, where 

 salads are much in request, may yet be sown. 

 The Curled Indian is a favorite summer kind ; 

 but the varieties of Cos, or plain-leaved kinds 

 are good. They take more trouble, having to 

 be tied up to blanch well. Many should not be 

 sown at a time, as they soon run to seed in hot 

 weather. 



At the end of June, some Celery may be set 

 out for early crops, though for the main crop a 

 month later will be quite time enough. It was 

 once customary to plant in trenches dug six or 

 more inches below the surface ; but the poverty 

 of the soil usually at this depth more than de- 

 creases the balance of good points in its favor. 

 Some of our best growers now plant entirely on 

 the surface, and depend on drawing up the soil, 

 or the employment of boards or uihor artificial 

 methods of blanching. 



Beans produce an enormous crop in deeply 

 trenched soils, and are improved as much as any 

 crop by surface manuring. We hope thisjmethod 



of fertilizing the soil will be extensively adopted 

 for garden crops this season. Those who have 

 not yet tried it will be surprised at the economy 

 and beneficial results of the practice. 



Cucumbers for pickling may be sown this 

 month, and endive for fall salad set out. Pars- 

 ley for winter use may be sown now, in boxes of 

 rich soil, and set in a cool shady place till it 

 germinates. 



Asparagus beds should not be cut oft' after the 

 stalks seem to come up weak, or there will be 

 but a poor crop the next season, and the beds 

 will " run out" in a few years. 



Tomatoes, after trying all kinds of trellises 

 recommended, will be found to do best on stakes 

 tied up singly. It is best to plant a strong pole 

 as for Lima Beans, with the plants when first 

 set out, and tie up as they grow. Marketmen 

 generally let them grow as they will, on the 

 ground, which perhaps, although not yielding 

 as much, costs less labor, and may thus be most 

 profitable. 



The Swede Turnip or Ruta Baga should be 

 sown about the end of the month. A well en- 

 riched piece of ground is essential, as by grow- 

 ing fast they get ahead of the ravages of the fly. 

 Manures abounding in the phosphates — bone- 

 dust, for instance, — are superior for the Turnip. 



Sweet Potatoes must be watched, that the 

 vines do not root in the ground as they run, 

 which will weaken the main crop of roots. 

 They should be gone over about once a month, 

 and with a rake or pole, the vines disturbed 

 somewhat from their position. 



Herbs for drying for future use, should be cut 

 just about the time they are coming into flower. 

 Dry them in the shade, and after sufficiently dry 

 to put away, tie them in bunches, and hang in a 

 cool shed, or place them loosely between the 

 paper, and stow away in cupboards or drawers, 

 — the last mode is by far the cleanest and most 

 approved plan with the best housekeepers. 

 Some, indeed, powder the leaves at once after 

 drying, and put them away in bags, ready for 

 use. 



COMMUNICA TIONS. 



BEURRE CLAIRCEAU. 



BY GKN'L W>r. H. NOBLE, BRIIHJEPORT, COXN. 



The April Monthly says : " This pear is 

 voted in the United States not fit for any month." 

 This I think means in Philadelphia and special 

 localities. Elsewhere it turns out not only a 



