134 



The Canadian Horticulturist. 



The house sparrow, known better as 

 the English sparrow, is to be rated an 

 exception. This bird is now universally 

 regarded as a nuisance, first, because 

 of its grain and vegetable destroying 

 propensities ; secondly, because it 

 drives away insect-destroying birds. 



Among insects, many wasps are 

 friends, especially those with a more 

 or less protruding horn or sting at the 

 end of the abdomen. Lady-bugs and 

 lace-wing flies live entirely upon des- 

 tructive insects, especially plant lice 

 and Scale insects, and should never 

 be destroyed. Dragon flies, or devil's 

 darnmg-needles, are also useful as well 

 as harmless. — Bulletin 46, JMeiv Jersey. 

 A. C. E. S. 



be used as a partial guide to assist in 

 pointing out the way to a proper selec- 

 tion, either for home use or market. — 

 J. H. Hale in Hartford Courant. 



The Merits of Various Strawberpies. 



From experience here in Connec- 

 ticut, correspondence with leading 

 fruit growers in every state in the 

 Union and Canada, as well as from per- 

 sonal observation in fourteen of the 

 Western states duirng the fruiting 

 season, I would classify the leading 

 varieties as follows : — 



The most productive — Pineapple, 

 Hampden, Lida, Bubach, Windsor, 

 Crescent, Jessie, Manchester and War- 

 field. 



Largest Berries — Jessie, Bomba, Jew- 

 ell, Prince Logan, Ontario, Sharpless, 

 Bubach, Belmont, Mammoth. 



The best flavored berries — Prince, 

 Gold, Miner, Belmont, Summit, Down- 

 ing, Kentucky. 



The earliest to ripen — May King, Iron 

 Clad, Crescent, Parry, Lida, Warfield, 

 Monmouth, Bubach, Hampden, Wilson. 



The latest to ripen — Ohio, Kentucky, 

 Windsor, Candy, Manchester. 



Best for light soil — Crescent, May 

 King, Kentucky, Bubach, Miner, Down- 

 ing. 



Best for heavy clay soil — Jewell, 

 Sharpless, Belmont, Logan, Jessie. 



This classification is not given as 

 an ironclad rule to follow, but is gen- 

 eral in its scope and each family will 

 vary it somewhat to suit their own tastes 

 and local conditions. It can, however. 



Potting" Plants. 



Mrs. Thompson, in Popular Gar- 

 dening, says : A florist once gave me 

 this rule for making up potting soil : 

 one part sand, two parts well rotted 

 cow manure, two parts garden or 

 vegetable mould, and following these 

 directions I have had marvelous suc- 

 cess. While it is not agreed with all 

 that drainage is essential with pot 

 plants, yet my best success came from 

 a liberal use of same. 



Liquid manure is one of the right 

 hand measures to a vigorous and 

 thrifty growth of plants ; strong 

 enough to color the water and ap- 

 plied regularly once a week, the result 

 will astonish you. I have also used, 

 as cleaner and less objectionable, a 

 weak solution of ammonia. 



I think in geraniums I had my 

 poorest luck ; I have read of and 

 occasionally seen plants covered with 

 blooms, but I never had the joy of 

 possessing them. My plants made 

 vigorous growth, but rarely had over 

 three clusters of blooms, sometimes 

 not that. I knew I fed them and 

 tended them faithfully, but no blooms, 

 whilst my friends, whom in my con- 

 ceit I thought I could teach how to 

 grow plants, often surpassed me with 

 these. 



I came to learn after a long while 

 that small pots and plants root bound 

 were the best for bloom. I have 

 often bought a geranium growing in 

 a rusty, dirty tomato or peach can, 

 and carefully transplanted it into 

 what I considered far better soil and 

 quarters, but which as a rule ceased 

 to be a thing to be desired, though 

 with the scented geraniums I alwavs 

 succeeded. 



The Home Garden. 



Every farmer should devote half 

 an acre or more to small fruit. Pie 



