132 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



birds on your premises, not even if the ladj^ of your choice is pining 

 for the skeleton to perch on her hat. 



The cat-bird and the red-eyed vireo, both eat the unsavory pear 

 slug. But it is not necessary to mention the good service rendered 

 by our more common birds, such as the robin, brown-thrush, blue- 

 bird, and wren, as all have seen their good works. 



Horticulturists are aware of the good that they do. Our winter 

 birds are also showing good work. The seed eating ones, pick up 

 great quantities of seeds of noxious weeds, while our woodpeckers, 

 jays, and chickadees are constantly on the lookout for hibernating 

 insects. Spare and encourage the birds, both winter and summer, 

 about homes, grounds and fields. 



Longfellow says : 



You call them thieves and pillagers ; but know 

 They are the wingfed wardens of your farms, 

 Who from the corn-fields drive the insidious foe. 

 And from your harvests keep a hundred harms ; 

 Even the blackest of them all, the crow, 

 Eenders good service as your man at arms. 

 Crushing the beetle in his coat of mail. 

 And crying havoc on the slug and snail. 



— Mrs. Mary Treaty before N. J. State Horticultural Society. 



MILDEW ON GOOSEBERRY. 

 Powdery mildew of the gooseberry affects most largely the large 

 English varieties. The fruit is discolored as well as the leaves 

 destroyed in some cases ; but in many localities these English goose- 

 berries are gi*own without an}' signs of the disease. They are large 

 and superior in quality and can be successfully grown where the 

 mildew does affect them, providing the proper remedy is used, which 

 is the sulphide of potassium in solution. It does no injury, not 

 being poisonous in the small quantity applied. One gallon is applied 

 to ten or twelve bushes, costing one cent per bush. Spray as soon 

 as the leaves unfold ; after this spray after each rain. — Prof. S. A. 

 Beach. 



