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PRIZE GARDENING 



Scaring the Birds. — As the garden was at a little 

 distance from the house, scarecrows became necessary 

 when the corn began to appear above the surface of 

 the ground. Those used were made from a potato 

 stuck full of the wing and tail feathers removed from 

 poultry strangled for market or home use. A stout 

 string about three feet long was tied around the potato 

 and it was then suspended from the end of a bean pole 

 or fishing rod stuck in the ground among the corn. It 

 takes less time to prepare one of these "potato birds" 

 than to shoot a crow, and when suspended in the field 

 they appear to serve an equally good purpose. — [E. R. 

 Flagg, Massachusetts. 



Plant Boxes. — Gardening operations require a 

 great number of boxes. These may be without top or 



bottom, to be used with mosquito netting as protectors 

 for squash, melon and cucumber plants, or with bot- 

 toms for use in starting plants early in the season. 

 To make such boxes or protectors, by wholesale, follow 

 the plan shown in the cut. Take four wide boards and 

 nail them firmly together as shown. Then saw off the 

 boxes as is also suggested. They are now in shape for 

 protectors. If boxes are needed, nail on bottom 

 boards.— [W. D. 



Tomato vines were allowed to climb an upright 

 trellis of wire netting. They needed but little tying 

 and yielded better than those on poles or tied to 

 stakes or trailing on the ground. — [A. E. Lathrop, 

 Massachusetts. 



