14:2 



JOOBNAL OP HOBTIOULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ February 18, 1873. 



BUfEcieut, and tho soil used should be a rich mixture ooasiatiog 

 in good part of loam. 



Eoudeletia (Rogieva) oordata, an unoommon plant, is also 

 flowering in the same house. It has large trusses of pale pink 

 flowers having a slight scent. The nearest relation is perhaps 

 the well-known R. gratissima, from which it differs by the 

 larger and stronger growth. It is a native of South America. 

 The genus Bogiora is now merged into Roudeletia ; and if so 

 nearly related we would suggest tho possibility of raising 

 hybrids between R. speciosa aud the subject of this paragraph 

 which might surpass either of the parents, the one possessing 

 colour, the other size of truss with good habit and fine foliage. 



In tho Succulent house we observe Eoheveria fulgens and 

 E. retusa finely in flower. They are beautiful species, and 

 worth growing for decorative purposes. This recalls the use 

 that may be made of the allies for conservatory decoration 

 after havin;.' been taken from their summer sites of display out 

 of doors. E. metallica, for instance, if carefully potted before 

 the advent of frost, will throw up vigorous panicles of bloom 

 that will have a tine effect during several of the winter months. 



Cytisus filipes is very attractive in the Conservatory, and, 

 though pretty well known, is not often cultivated. The weep- 

 ing branches studded with pure white flowers have a very 

 pleasing effect. It is said that by grafting on tall Laburnum 

 stems the drooping habit may be shown to advantage. The 

 flowers are sweetly scented. 



On tho Rookwork is a new species of MiUa (Triteleia) — 

 M. Lcichtlini. Tho flowers are white, and the look of the 

 entire plant reminds one of an Oruithogalum. It is not the 

 most beautiful of the genus. Here also Cyclamen coum is 

 showing its brilliant rose-coloured flowers. 



SPARROWS -SNOWS WINTER WHITE 

 BROCCOLI. 



I WRITE principally to make recantation of a statement in 

 the Journal of Horticulture, vol. i., p. 461 — viz., " That spar- 

 rows eat Peas and the buds of trees I admit." The statement 

 relating tn the buds I beg to withdraw, as it was made through 

 fear of offend ing that sense of supposed right of those who 

 may have had thtir schooling, as I had, from " old prejudices " 

 in matters relating to sparrows. My father taught mo to take 

 sparrows at night with a riddle from haystacks, whither the 

 birds had withdrawn at night for warmth or shelter. The 

 farmers at that time offered a farthing for each young un- 

 fledged bird or egg, and a halfpenny for every old bird taken to 

 the individual appointed to receive and pay for them. This 

 was just the thing for boys always on the look-out for a little 

 money. Sparrows I was taught were of no value whatever to 

 man. Imbued with this idea I waged war against the birds by 

 every contrivance and weapon known at the time, but after- 

 years of careful observation have taught mo how much I erred 

 in that murderous work. 



With the above recantation rests my ease of mind. I readily 

 admit " Aoe " and Mr. Allcock are entitled to their own views, 

 which, however, do not alter mine. I flrst require absolute 

 proof of the birds at the buds, and taken with the buds in 

 their crops. May I refer " Age " to an article on the house 

 sparrow in the Journal of Horticulture, vol. iii., p. (isl? after 

 reading which may we not exclaim together, " Surely we are 

 not all wrong ! " There is no need to write-up the hedge 

 sparrow ; it does no harm, it has no enemies in man, while the 

 house sparrow had at one time a price put upon it for de- 

 struction. 



Just a word in reply to Mr. William Taylor. I had and 

 have the true Snow's Winter White Broccoli as supplied 

 guaranteed by Messrs. Veitch. My treatment differs from his 

 there can be no doubt, but there is another difference which 

 Mr. Taylor fails to see — that of climate. Three hundred miles 

 further north and 500 feet above sea level means something. 

 I have cut Snow's Winter White Broccoli early in December 

 within seven miles of York and elsewhere ; but what that has 

 to do with the trueness of a variety or cultivation I am unable 

 to apprehend. — G. Abbey. 



I H.UE been somewhat concerned to read the numerous 

 complaints in the Journal respecting the ravages committed 

 upon Gooseberry and Currant trees by the irrepressible sparrow, 

 and liave feared that the advice of aomo of your correspon- 

 dents may be too generally acted upon, in which case the poor 

 eparrcw is likely to have a hard time of it during the comiug 



spring. The particulars of the system pursued by me, and 

 which has succeeded perfectly, may be useful to some of your 

 numerous readers, and save the lives of some of my feathered 

 friends. Sparrows literally swarm here ; one cannot cross a 

 stubble field without pulling up, not hundreds merely, but 

 tens of thousands. Therefore if he be so destructive, as some 

 allege, the mischief done must be very serious indeed. 



Now, taking into consideration that this ia one of the most 

 highly cultivated and highly rented districts near the metro- 

 polis, and also taking into consideration tho money-making 

 nature of the West Surrey farmer, it does seem strange that 

 such swarms of destructive (?) birds should be allowed to in- 

 crease and multiply at tho rate they ai'e doing, unless those 

 worthy people are quite blind to their own interests upon this 

 point — a failing, however, which those who enjoy their acquaint- 

 ance will hardly credit them with. I have just examined my 

 Currant and Gooseberry bushes, but cannot discover a bud 

 touched, and tho reason is this : — During the late in- 

 clement weather our birds were fed every morning with broad 

 crumbled very fine, so that considerable time should be 

 occupied by Mr. Sparrow ia filling his crop. But what I 

 apprehend more effectually checked his disbudding propensity 

 was a good dusting of soot applied to the trees occasionally, 

 throwing the soot well at the trees so that it may stick among 

 the buds. The Currant and Gooseberry buds are now swelling, 

 and no time should bo lost in giving them a good dusting ; the 

 buds are now very tempting, and if this is not done at once 

 many will be destroyed. 



The sparrow will not touch the filthy Gooseberry cater- 

 pillar nor will (so far as my experience goes) any other bird. 

 But why rear Gooseberry caterpillar, the remedy for its de- 

 struction being so very simple ? All I do is to remove the soil 

 under the trees to the depth of about i inches, scattering it 

 far and wide about the garden, birds and frosts will do the 

 rest; then replace tho soil removed with fresh earth, adding a 

 small quantity of manure, thus removing an enemy and sup- 

 plying a fertiliser at the same time. November is the best 

 time for this operation. 



To protect Peas from the sparrow with string or cotton, 

 much depends upon the time and mode in which it is fixed. 

 Many people do this at the sowing time, running it close to 

 the ground. This is wrong the thread should be laid just as 

 the Peas are breaking through the soil, and at a height of 

 about 4 or ."> inches, one strand on each side of the line, these 

 should be about 4 inches apart. If the stringing be done at 

 the sowing time the birds get used to it by the time the Peas 

 come up, whereas if done at the proper time the Peas get well 

 into leaf aud out of danger before the birds get accustomed to 

 the threads. A few lines here and there across the garden at 

 the height of about 7 feet would materially assist, the sparrows 

 being very shy about going under anything which looks like a 

 net. Crocuses and Primroses may be protected in a similar 

 manner, aud the more invisible the colour of tho thread the 

 more effectual would it be in scaring the birds. Do not let us 

 take to shooting our small birds until othe- remedies have been 

 tried, or it has been clearly proved that they are in excess of 

 our requirements. 



I may add that a few summers ago 150 bird.i at least were 

 hatched aud reared in my small premises of 10 yards by .SO, 

 those included three families of robins, by what appeared to 

 be the same pau' of birds, and in exactly tho same spot — viz., 

 the porch over our back door. Those young birds were, as 

 well as we could make out, entirely fed upon caterpillars, and 

 from early morn to dewy eve the parent birds were unceasingly 

 occupied in bringing food to their voracious offspring. The 

 number of caterpillars thus destroyed by the parents of our 

 ICiO young friends must have been incalculable. 



The sparrows last summer cleared my Bases of aphides, and 

 no cockchafer has the smallest chance of escaping with his 

 life, he is captured when on tho wing. 



My greatest enemies in a gardening sense are oats and dogs. 

 If Sir Stafford Korthcote would but tax the one and double the 

 tax ou the other, or instruct his myrmidons to see that every 

 wretched cur contributed its crown to the revenue, many 

 small gardeners in this neighbourhood would bo exceedingly 

 grateful, and curry on tho cultivation of theh little plots with 

 renewed vigour, knowing that a sensible reduction of those (in 

 too many cases), useless and annoying pets would soon follow. 

 — Wkst Surrey. 



As the crusade advised against the sparrows may be acted 

 upon with iudisjrimiuution by many readers, and, oouse- 



