February 25, 1S75. ] 



JOURNAL OP HOKTICDLTORS AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



1(53 



for the reason that I have opened many young birds and found, 

 iustead of caterpillars, wheat, rice, and bread. Still, I believe 

 that they eat some insects, as I have seen them cateh moths 

 and pick green fly off the Rose trees. Still, I do not think the 

 good they do compensates for all the injury they commit. 

 Sometimes they will attack the Gooseberry bushes as soon as 

 the leaves drop off, and strip the trees of buds until they are 

 not worth a farthing. Some people say they save us the 

 trouble of thinning the fruit ; but I would much rather thin 

 them myself, for the sparrows always take the finest buds 

 which would have produced the largest fruit. I have also been 

 so close to them as to see them pick the buds and shell them, 

 and drop the husks on the ground. I have further seen them 

 pick off the Plum buds. They will sometimes take them until 

 the ground under the trees is entirely covered with husks ; 

 they will also take the Bed and White Currant buds to the 

 extent of destroying the entire crop of fruit. As to the Peas, 

 Mr. G. Abbey says the sparrows ace never so happy as when 

 the Peas are in bloom, bat I think they are happier when the 

 early Peas are just through the ground and they can nibble 

 them off from end to end of the row. Linnets I have never 

 Been take the buds, but have seen them visit the Radish and 

 Cauliflower beds and pull up the seeds when just pushing 

 through the ground. I think therefore that Mr. G. Abbey is 

 mistaken in linnets being rapacious hud-destroyers. 



Mr. Abbey asks. Why does the sparrow frequent our gardens 

 during the breeding season, as its place is in the farmyard or 

 the barn :' The answer is, that at this particular season farmers 

 are employed otherwise than by thrashing, and therefore there 

 is little or no seed for the birds to pick up near the farm 

 buildings. The reason why it follows the footsteps of man is 

 because it finds a certain amount of food about his habitations, 

 such as crumbs of bread swept up and thrown among the 

 ashes and other household wastes, as Green Peas and Potato 

 parings, which the birds are very fond of. 



If the sparrows eat so many insects and caterpillars, how is 

 it that fields in the coantry do not become eaten up with these 

 pests, and over which the sparrow never flies from year's end 

 to year's end ? Mr. Abbey says that the whole of its life is 

 devoted to the service of man ; I say that a great portion of 

 its life is devoted to the destruction of fruit buds and Green 

 Peas. A dusting of lime is recommended to save the buds, 

 but I find several dustings fail to do so. I am inclined to 

 think the sparrows in Mr. Abbey's garden are different to those 

 in mine if they never take the buds. I have no prejudice 

 against sparrows, but simply state that I have seen them at 

 their destructive work. Instead of regarding them as gar- 

 deners' friends I look upon them as amongst our greatest 

 enemies, and I say with Mr. Alloock, Kill every sparrow you 

 can. — R. WAI.KER, Derhysliire. 



I HAVE been asked to give my opinion as regards sparrows in 

 the garden. I am a general lover of birds, fruit, and flowers; 

 and being in a neighbourhood where there are woods, copses, 

 and hedgerows, I have the pleasure of seeing very many of the 

 former. There are but three birds which visit my garden 

 I would like less of : these are bullfinches, blackbirds, and 

 sparrows. The first I would rather not have one of if I oould 

 avoid it. I know ol no good the bird does. It is not only a 

 bud-eating bird, but a bloom-bud-eating bird, taking the bloom 

 buds in preference. 



Of the blackbirds I like a few, but they are sad fellows for 

 picking holes in the Pears and Apples when nearly ripe, so as 

 to entirely prevent their Iveeping ; yet they do a great deal 

 of good. 



As for the sparrows, the only time they are of use is when 

 they have young. But what destructive fellows they are ! In 

 the spring they go to work on my Gooseberry bushes in a most 

 unmerciful manner, and the ground underneath is otrewn with 

 the buds. Granted, cover them with net. Very well : then 

 look at my Pinks with the crowns picked out ; look at my 

 Crocus, the yellow ones, with the blossoms flung here and 

 there ; my Cowslips, my Primroses, also so served : these I 

 cannot net over. Then think of the Radish seed, the Turnip 

 seed, the young Peas, the Currant bloom, and other things 

 which I cannot call to mind. No : I would rather, for my 

 peace of mind as a gardener, be without the sparrows. Give 

 me starlings for grubs and caterpillars. It is indeed wonderful 

 the quantity they eat. I have made holes for them to breed 

 . in, and I have several pairs ; thrushes in swarms at times. 

 Nightingales, blackcaps, titmice, hedge sparrows, robins ; all 

 the soft-billed birds, even chaftinches, and greenfinches, and 



linnets, I like to have ; but no, not sparrows. I must agree 

 with some of your contributors that fond, very fond, as I am 

 of birds, I would rather not — much rather not — have many 

 sparrows about if I really wished to enjoy my garden. — 

 tLiBEisoN Weik. 



[All that can be said for or against small birds being tole- 

 rated in a garden, has now been said. — Ens.] 



EDCHAKIS AMAZONICA CDLTUEE. 



A coRKESPONDENT, " G. P.," has Written in reference to this 

 plant in last week's Journal. I cannot remember writing to 

 any contemporary about it, but can say that it flowers three 

 times in one season from the same bulbs, and has done so for 

 many years. The minimum temperature in the house where 

 it is grown is (j.5". The potting material is substantial turfy 

 loam, with a little manure, leaf mould, and sand added. As 

 the plant likes copious waterings the drainage is good. 



When the plant has done flowering only sufficient water is 

 given for a few weeks to prevent the leaves from flagging, 

 when they again receive a liberal supply. We have several 

 plants, the largest must have nearly fifty bulbs in the pot. 

 Some of the plants have been tried in cooler houses, but they 

 succeed best in the higher temperature. — J. Douglas. 



THE EFFECTS OF OPEN BRICK-KILNS ON 

 THE SURROUNDING VEGETATION. 



Obsekvint, a short paragraph in a recent number of the 

 Journal on the above subject, I imagine a little further infor- 

 mation may not be devoid of interest. I have, to my cost, had 

 some practical experience of the deleterious effects of the sul- 

 phurous fumes from open brick-kilns upon vegetation generally, 

 and upon certain trees and shrubs particularly, and record the 

 foUowmg facts. First with respect to distance. I have known 

 some things injured at a distance of IJOO yards or more, young 

 Larch for instance ; and almost all the Pine tribe when in 

 their most active growth, say about the middle to the end of 

 June, and more especially after rain or when the air has been 

 loaded with moisture, have been injured most seriously at this 

 distance. 



I have had the leads of Larch entirely killed when young and 

 succulent at 400 yards from an open kiln, but to do this the 

 current must be direct and concentrated. Of course it depends 

 upon the currents, and at such a distance many escape, although 

 apparently in the direct current. How to explain this I never 

 was able, except on the supposition that some plants were 

 more vigorous than others and less susceptible, for I invariably 

 noticed the weakly ones suffered the most. 



I have had two actions against an owner for damage done 

 by his kilns, and have gained both. These kilns are all open 

 — / c, on the old principle, and the fumes given off from such 

 were very considerable, and the sulphurous acid, or vapour of 

 sulphur, being considerably heavier than the atmosphere always 

 has a tendency to fall, and not, as some people imagine, to rise 

 as ordinary smoke ; and although the kilns are situated on a 

 higher level than my nursery, the injury was nevertheless 

 done. 



The trees injured by the fumes at a distance of from 170 to 

 300 yards were Plums, Thorns (double pink more especially), 

 Cherries, Spruce Firs, Balm of Gilead, Tea and Noisette Roses, 

 Golden Yews, Pinus excelsa, and Weymouth Pines, Beech, cfec, 

 all when in their most active growtlr and when in a soft and 

 succulent state. On the contrary. Apples, Laurels, Peaches and 

 Nectarines, Arbor Vities, Pears, some strong-growing Hybrid 

 Perpetual and other Roses, Privet, Limes, Elms, Hornbeam, 

 Hollies, Cedars, Cypress, Junipers, Oaks, Planes, &a., when 

 growing in the same quarters, and in some instances 100 and 

 150 yards nearer the kilns, and yet in the direct line from 

 the kilns, have not even suffered to the extent of a damaged 

 leaf. 



This is certainly very extraordinary, and why they should be 

 able to stand the fumes I cannot explain, but such I know 

 from experience to be the fact. I do not say that all these 

 trees are proof against the effect of sulphur fumes ; but what 

 I do say is this, that at a given distance — say 150 yards — 

 what is strong enough to injure very materially a Plum tree or 

 a Fir in active growth would pass over a iaurel or an Arbor 

 VitsB, or an Apple tree still in the same succulent state, and 

 not visibly injure it in the sUghtest. To explain such pheno- 

 mena is beyond my power, and could only be done by close 



