BIGNONIA. 



55 



BIRD SCARERS. 



duction in the manner stated, they are 

 often reckoned among hardy herbaceous 

 plants, and thus it will be most convenient 

 to consider them. Of their culture and 

 management, it is sufficient to say that they 

 are treated in precisely the same manner as 

 annuals. They may be sown, however, at 

 a later period of the year, though not later 

 than the middle or end of September, for 

 plants sown at this time will bloom the 

 following year as freely as those that have 

 been sown at an earlier date. They should 

 be raised in the reserve garden, and planted 

 out in their blooming quarters in the spring. 



Bignonia, or Trumpet Flower 



(nat. ord. Bignonia'cese). 

 A magnificent climbing plant that must 

 be raised in a hothouse from side shoots 

 placed in sand, under a bell-glass, and over 

 bottom keep in summer, or by cuttings of 

 its roots treated in a similar manner in 

 spring or autumn. When fairly advanced 

 in growth they may be trained over the 

 roof of a cool greenhouse. There are many 

 varieties, all of which are natives of tropical 

 countries, or those in which the climate is 

 very hot. 



Billhook. 



This useful tool is indispensable for 

 sharpening the ends of pea sticks, espaliers, 

 stakes, and poles of all kinds used in the 

 garden. Billhooks are used in pruning 

 trees and trimming hedges rather than for 

 fruit trees, although they may be utilised 

 for cutting off the boughs of large trees in 

 orchards, in which apple trees, pear trees, 

 cherry trees, and the trees that are usually 

 found in orchards, have attained such a 

 growth and require such a lopping as may 

 be fairly effected by means of these instru- 

 ments. The common forms of billhook 

 are represented in the accompanying illus- 

 tration, A having a square-shaped broad 

 blade, rather wider at the top than at the 



bottom, and slightly curved or hooked at 

 the extremity, and u having a sickle- 

 shaped blade of the form of a crescent. 

 The edge of blades of both types is wedge- 

 shaped that is to say, bevelled on l>oth 

 sides to the cutting edge in the centre of 

 the thickness. This construction gives 

 greater facility of penetration to the edge 

 of the blade when the blow is delivered. 

 The bills in the illustration are represented 

 with short handles ; but they are furnished 

 with handles ranging from 9 inches to 5 



BILLHOOKS. 



and even 6 feet in length, according to the 

 work that is to be done with them, the 

 shorter handles being more suitable when 

 lopping off large boughs, and the longer 

 handles for trimming and pruning hedges. 

 There are various shapes of blades in use 

 for this implement, but the principle in 

 all is the same. In some, however, the 

 back is serrated to form a saw, in which 

 case the bill is adapted to do the duty of 

 a pruning saw. 



Bird Scarers. 



Glitter is as objectionable to birds as 

 noise. This may be obtained by suspend- 

 ing small pieces of looking-glass in trees. 

 The bits of glass may be framed in strips 

 of tin, and the framing will afford an easy 

 means of hanging them at an angle, which 

 is better than placing them perfectly straight 



